Just end it

I used to be a fan of a band called Guns N' Roses.

It started in 1999 I bought Use Your Illusions I. I was like wow this Axl Rose guy seems pretty crazy cool. Little did I know he was that eccentric.

As I read my history on the band I look at all the angles and many articles. I came to the conclusion that well even though Slash left, as well as Duff and replacement drummer Matt Sorum quitting, that red head had every right to continue on, as he wanted to advance the sound.

I bought the End of Days soundtrack just for the new Guns N' Roses song called Oh My God. It is pretty industrial heavy and I digged the new sound and direction.

Saw the band live in 2002 at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and then of course the tour derailed and rioting. I remember fondly spitting my beer out of my mouth when I saw some weird looking individual, let's just say I was immature at the time and the beer projectiled far.

I was impressed with Buckethead and Robin Finck at the time.

The year 2006 came along and it looked like he (Axl Rose) was finally going to release Chinese Democracy. I saw the band live in New York City, Buckethead less now (he quit rightfully so in 2004), but, Robin Finck was still in the fold so I accepted the band still. The show was amazing at the Hammerstein Ballroom, had Izzy Stradlin (founding Guns N' Roses member and Axl's writing partner / childhood friend). The drawl back was Kid Rock came out for Nightrain.

The 2006 tour did not fall apart. However, the band once again failed to release the seven year in the making album. I count 1999, as that is when the core of the new members came in.

New Guns N' Roses fans were lucky because leaks like Chinese Democracy, Madagascar, I.R.S., Better, Catcher In The Rye (with Queen's Brian May, not the official album take), The Blues (later renamed The Street of Dreams) were made available and circulating amongst forum members.

In 2007 nothing happened.

Finally, 2008 rolls around and it appears nothing is going to happen. Out of nowhere they (Guns N' Roses) finally release Chinese Democracy.

I bought the album, as I felt like it was the right thing to do. At first I wasn't going to. As fan being tossed around and made to believe it was finally going to come out every year since 2001 until 2008 sucked. On top of the fact, I wasn't much into the band anymore and developed an eclectic taste in music now.

There was a cloud surrounding the album release though. The lead guitarist since 1998 Robin Finck appeared to have quit the band once again to rejoin Nine Inch Nails. As 2008 began to close, it was obvious there would be no promotion of the album.

When I listened to the album the only tracks that really I enjoyed were Sorry and Prostitute. I had already listened to and liked Chinese Democracy, Better, I.R.S. and Madagascar since the 2006 "inner-web" leaks.

The 2009 line up does not have one single lead guitarist from the Chinese Democracy era, that co-wrote a lot of the songs on the album. Bryan Mantia their long time drummer likely has quit or is just a studio guy now, joining the ranks of Paul Tobias who is just purely studio, since according to the 2002 press release he didn't like touring.

I just don't know how you continue a band where you have lost your lead guitarist , Robin Finck whom co-wrote seven songs: Chinese Democracy, Shackler's Revenge, Better, Street Of Dreams, Catcher In The Rye, Riad & The Bedouins and Prostitute.

Then again Slash did quit the band.

Either way I shall not entertain the idea of buying a ticket next year to see them, perform. I am into way newer and superb music, in my opinion.

I hope the band never reunites either as that will be a nostalgic cash grab tour. Only thing that could renew my interest is a Robin Finck return, other than that I'm not interested. On top of the fact who knows if another album is ever going to be released.