Slash confirms a new Guns N’ Roses album is on the way

Slash has revealed that a Guns N’ Roses album featuring all-new material – the first to be released since Slash and Duff McKagan rejoined the group in 2016 – is officially in the pipeline.

The Gibson Les Paul-playing powerhouse broke the news in a conversation with Classic Rock, during which he also touched upon his relationship with the band's former guitarist Izzy Stradlin, who quit the band back in 1991.

When quizzed about any upcoming music, Slash replied, “That’s a whole other interview,” before confirming what GNR fans have been wanting to hear for the past five years.

“There’s new Guns material coming out as we speak,” he offered, “and we’ll probably keep putting it out until the entire record’s worth of stuff is done and then put it out solid.

“It’s cool,” he added. “I’m enjoying working on the stuff and having a good time doing it.”

The welcome news comes after Slash told Audacity Check In back in October last year that Guns N’ Roses “haven’t even gotten to that point of really in earnest sitting down and writing”.

Elsewhere in his interview with Classic Rock, Slash discussed Izzy Stradlin's departure, admitting he felt “resentful” when the guitarist left the band and revealing Stradlin thought his former bandmates “were going to die”.

Speaking about the split, which was allegedly the result of drama and substance abuse issues within the band, Slash reflected, “There was no judgement about any of that.

“I was admittedly resentful of that whole trip with Izzy leaving,” he added, “because whatever had gone on for him that forced that sudden change, I was like, man, I died eighteen times prior to that! It didn’t faze me!

“But when he quit, he was looking at us going: ‘These guys are gonna fucking die!’”

While on the topic, Slash went on to say he hasn’t “really talked to him since" the idea of a reunion was first proposed, and that Stradlin didn’t rejoin GNR in 2016 as “we couldn’t seem to meet eye to eye on the whole thing”.

As for the album, whether it's slated for a 2022 release remains to be seen, though when it drops it will be the band’s first record since 2008’s Chinese Democracy.

The current lineup, completed by Richard Fortus, Frank Ferrer, Dizzy Reed and Melissa Reese, released music last year in the form of Hard Skool and Absurd, though both were reworked Chinese Democracy cuts that were written without Slash and McKagan.

Upon the tracks’ release, GNR later announced the Hard Skool EP – a four-song offering that will feature the above tracks, as well as live takes of You’re Crazy and Don’t Cry.

Slash has also been keeping busy with his solo group – Slash featuring Myles Kennedy and The Conspirators – who will be releasing their upcoming album, 4, in February via Gibson Records.

Of the album, Slash teased it as “the best one we've done so far".