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Former Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash has settled on a title and a tentative release date for his new album.

-- Sorelle Saidman

After spending the last ten years transforming himself from the rock world's most notorious star to its most puzzling recluse, Guns N' Roses frontman Axl Rose emerged this week to speak with MTV News' Kurt Loder.

"[I've been] trying to figure out how to make a record," [RealAudio] Rose told Loder with regard to his whereabouts for the last several years.

Rose's resurfacing comes as the group releases its first new music in eight years, the song "Oh My God" [RealAudio] on the "End Of Days" soundtrack. The cut gives fans a small taste of what lies ahead on "Chinese Democracy," the long-awaited upcoming effort from the revamped Guns N' Roses.

The song is a multi-layered affair, thick with samples, distorted vocals, and in Rose's own estimation, "a disco beat." The singer is quick to note that these aren't the only elements fans will find when "Chinese Democracy" finally arrives.

"It's a lot of different sounds," Rose said of the album. "There's some really heavy songs, there's some really aggressive songs, but they're all in different styles and different sounds. It is truly a melting pot." [RealAudio]

Guns 'N Roses "It's So Easy" live RealVideo

"I originally wanted to make a traditional record or try to get back to an 'Appetite' thing or something, because that would have been a lot easier for me to do," Rose told Loder of his original plan for the album. "I was involved in a lot of lawsuits for Guns N' Roses and in my own personal life, so I didn't have a lot of time to try and develop a new style or reinvent myself, so I was hoping to write a traditional thing, but I was not really allowed to do that." [RealAudio]

Rose pointed to the departure of original Guns guitarist Slash as the main reason that an "Appetite For Destruction"-style effort wasn't in the cards this time out. Gunners Matt Sorum and Duff McKagan have left the fold as well, of which Rose said, "That was their choice to leave. Everybody that's gone did it by choice."

The GN'R camp now includes keyboard player Dizzy Reed, ex-Vandals drummer Josh Freese, and former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson. The lineup has re-ignited a spark or two for Rose.

"To be honest, it was a long time for me since Guns N' Roses, as the old lineup had been fun, and the new guys have been a breath of fresh air," Rose noted.

While Rose broke his silence in an exclusive interview with Loder on Monday night, the frontman maintained his air of mystery, opting to call in to MTV Studios rather than appear in person. Axl spoke with Loder on the eve of the world premiere of a new Guns N' Roses video (a live version of "Welcome To The Jungle" that appears on the band's upcoming "Live Era '87-'93").

During his conversation with Loder, Rose also said that legendary Queen guitarist Brian May has agreed to appear on "Chinese Democracy," and that he and his new GN'R stable have re-recorded "Appetite For Destruction."

Rose also denied (with a Master P-like string of "Na-nah-na-nah"s) that GN'R will be playing a New Year's Eve show, though he went on to say that he and the rest of the band will surface next year.

"We'll be around," Rose promised. "I'm not working on all this to keep it buried. We plan on getting out there and doing it right." [RealAudio]

Portions of the interview aired during Tuesday's "Total Request Live," and you can check out much more from our exclusive interview with Axl during this weekend's edition of "MTV News 1515" and in a feature that will turn up here on MTV News Online.

-- Robert Mancini, from an interview by Kurt Loder

Guns N' Roses delivers its first new music in eight years to record stores this week with the arrival of the soundtrack to the new Arnold Schwarzenegger thriller "End Of Days."

"There's no story," Navarro recently told MTV News of how he came to hook up with the reclusive Rose. "We didn't hook up at, like, The Rainbow and said, 'Hey, let's get together and do a song.' They just called me up, and I went down to the studio. I spent about an hour and a half there. I played a guitar solo, and that's it." [RealVideo]

"It was an existing track," Navarro added while backstage at the ARTISTdirect Online Music Awards last month. "I played a guitar solo on it. There really wasn't much direction to give me. I think that that's why they called me, because they figured they wouldn't have to give me any direction." [RealVideo]

This month will also see the arrival of "Live Era '87-'93," a collection of vintage live GN'R cuts as well as a cover of Black Sabbath's "It's Alright" (see "Guns N' Roses Prepare To Unleash Live Album").

With the projects arriving and work moving ahead on "Chinese Democracy," the first original GN'R album since '91, Rose may break his lengthy self-imposed silence this week. Stay tuned to MTV News for further developments.

-- Tina Johnson

See also: Dave Navarro.

It's been six years since Guns N' Roses released an album (with the 1993 cover collection "The Spaghetti Incident?"). Next month, the band will finally be releasing its live LP.

Meanwhile, "Oh My God," the new song by the current version of GN'R (which includes Rose, long-time keyboardist Dizzy Reed, ex-Vandals drummer Josh Freese, former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson and guitarist Paul Huge) will be released on November 9 along with the rest of the "End Of Days" soundtrack (see "Axl Speaks: Rose Sounds Off On New GN'R Track").

The song also features guitar contributions from Gary Sunshine, former Jane's Addiction/Red Hot Chili Peppers member Dave Navarro, and one-time Gunner Robin Finck, who recently left the band to return to Nine Inch Nails (see "Guitarist Robin Finck Leaves GN'R To Return To NIN").

As for the "End Of Days" soundtrack, the disc will also feature tracks by the likes of Limp Bizkit, Korn and Rob Zombie, among others.

Fans who want to hear a longer snippet of "Oh My God" than can be heard in the "End Of Days" commercial may want to pay a visit to the Interscope Records Web site at www.interscope.com., where a portion of the track is available via RealAudio.

Here's the track list for "Live Era '87-'93":

Disc one:

 

• "Nightrain"
• "Mr. Brownstone"
• "It's So Easy"
• "Welcome To The Jungle"
• "Dust N' Bones"
• "Coma"
• "My Michelle"
• "You're Crazy"
• "Used To Love Her"
• "Patience"
• "It's Alright"
• "November Rain"

Disc two:

 

• "Out Ta Get Me"
• "Pretty Tied Up"
• "Yesterdays"
• "Move To The City"
• "You Could Be Mine"
• "Rocket Queen"
• "Sweet Child O' Mine"
• "Knockin' On Heaven's Door"
• "Don't Cry"
• "Estranged"
• "Paradise City"

--Brian Ives