Formed in 1985, Guns N’ Roses are one of those bands that have become synonymous with rock n’ roll. Signed to Geffen Records back in 1986, the band was comprised of drummer Steven Adler, guitarists Slash and Izzy Stradlin, bassist Duff McKagan and vocalist Axl Rose. Formed from two bands called L.A. Guns and Hollywood Rose, this first album called Appetite for Destruction was released in 1987 and reached number one on the Billboard 200 with top 10 singles including “Paradise City”, “Sweet Child o’ Mine” and “Welcome to the Jungle”. Of their early rehearsals, guitarist Slash says: “The first time that we jammed together was at a rehearsal place in Hollywood and it was intense. We started working together at that point, we did some shows and it was always very unpredictable and wild. Like, ‘Okay, let’s see what happens.”
With approximately 30 million copies sold worldwide, Appetite for Destruction was followed by their next studio album G N’ R Lies which sold a million copies worldwide and included top hit “Patience”.
Further albums included some classics including “You Could Be Mine”, covers of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” and “Live and Let Die” and more. And while the lineups have changed over the years, one thing remains the same: Guns N’ Roses are certainly a musical force to be reckoned with. Current members include those from the original line up like Axl Rose, Duff McKagan and Slash as well as the additions of Richard Fortus, Dizzy Reed, Frank Ferrer and Melissa Reese. Many of the band’s members are considered the best in their field, with Slash ranked as one of the best guitar players of all time, and Axl Rose referred to as one of the best vocalists of all time. They’ve been the receivers of many top awards including the American Music Awards, the Billboard Touring Awards, The MTV Video Music Awards, the World Music Awards and more.
But how have the band kept the momentum going?
Guns N’ Roses were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame back in April 14 2012; as one of the world’s best-selling bands of all time, they continue to influence some of the best rock n’ roll bands to date including Fall Out Boy, Avenged Sevenfold, The Strokes, Sum 41, Bullet for My Valentine, Nickelback and more.
Fans of Guns N’ Roses, old and new, can also enjoy the band’s legacy through the Guns N’ Roses slot game by NetEnt. This video slot features 5 reels and 20 paylines, with the band logo standing in for Wild substituting for all other symbols except for the Bonus one. The slot game begins with a pretty incredible HD musical intro and continues with a setlist of five of the most iconic Guns N’ Roses songs playing throughout. All the symbols are G N’ R themed with Duff, Slash, Axl, and guitar picks with album covers featured. Bets being at £2 and go all the way up to £200 meaning there are options for every budget but of course, you can find more information here.
In 2016, Guns N’ Roses released a video featuring six of their songs from the band’s Not in This Lifetime Tour at Foro Sol in Mexico City and the NRG Stadium in Houston during 2016. Their 2004 Greatest Hits collection will be released on vinyl for the first time later this month on 190gram audiophile black vinyl as well as a limited edition set on gold colored vinyl with red and white splatter.
And there may be new music on the way
Due to time spent indoors as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, it appears that the band may be releasing new music. In July 2020, Slash gave an update on Guns N’ Roses, stating that the band has been working on new tunes due to enforced downtime. Forced to cancel their September tour due to the outbreak, it seems like the band has used their extra hours to get creative and working on new tunes.
In an interview, Slash said “I’ve been pretty much a homebody but I’ve been back and forth between my studio in the house and doing a lot of writing and recording on my own.
“I’ve been jamming with Duff and I’ve been jamming with Axl and I’ve been doing stuff like that, so we’ve been getting some work done that way. But I haven’t been doing much else.” He added that he’s “basically just focusing on writing new music and recording demos and recording guitar stuff for Guns and whatnot.”
In the meantime, fans can enjoy the old classics and purchase merchandise from the G N’ R official store including t-shirts, picture discs, metal lapel pins and so much more. Even after all this time, Guns N’ Roses are going strong.
