MATT SORUM Says Both He And STEVEN ADLER Should Be Involved If GUNS N' ROSES Reunites

According to The Pulse of Radio, ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum thinks that, if the original band reunites, they should perform with both him and original drummer Steven Adler. "If it's me on drums or Steven or whatever, if it happened, it'd be great, you know. I would actually say to them, 'Hey, bring both of us back,' you know. Let me play the other stuff. We'll have two drum kits. I don't care. If 'Appetite' ('For Destruction', the band's debut) sounds better with Steven playing it, have both guys up there. They can afford it."

Judging from Axl Rose's recent comments about his former band mates it doesn't seem likely that the original band will ever play together again. When questioned about the original band playing together again Rose said, "There's zero possibility of me having anything to do with Slash other than by ambush, and that wouldn't be pretty . . . (original drummer) Steven (Adler) brings assorted ambulance-chasing attorneys and the nightmare of his mother. One gig, or even a couple songs, could mean years of behind-the-scenes legal aftermath."

Sorum recently blasted Rose for using the name GUNS N' ROSES when the original band is no longer together. Sorum said, "I'm not saying I'm an original member, okay, but I understand the core of the band, which is Slash and Duff and probably Izzy. It's a shame, and you know what, this goes back to a Paul McCartney thing. Does he call himself THE BEATLES? Not saying we were as big as THE BEATLES, but — does Sting call himself THE POLICE? No. Does Jimmy Page and Robert Plant go out there calling themselves LED ZEPPELIN? Nope."

"Chinese Democracy", the sixth and most recent album from GUNS N' ROSES, was released in its entirety to the Rock Band Music Store catalog of downloadable content on April 14.

The tracks are available for purchase as an album or individual tracks for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 system. The tracks are available for purchase as individual tracks only for Wii.

"Chinese Democracy" — which was released on November 23, 2008 as a Best Buy exclusive after a wait of more than 15 years — sold 1,300 copies in the United States in the seven days ending April 26.

Aside from Billboard and Spinner interviews and answering a number of fan questions at a GUNS N' ROSES message board, singer Axl Rose has done no promotion of any kind for "Chinese Democracy".

"Chinese Democracy" was officially certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on February 3, 2009 for shipments in the United States in excess of one million copies. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the CD has sold 574,000 copies in the U.S. so far.

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Richard Fortus hinted in an interview with a St. Louis radio station earlier this week that a tour from the Axl Rose-led band is imminent. Fortus said on the program, "I've been in rehearsals with GUNS for the last little bit here — focusing more on that world right now . . . We, hopefully, will be announcing dates soon, I hope." Fortus added, "I don't know of any dates in the U.S. yet; I haven't heard any talk. I'm sure that we will . . . Right now that's not where the focus is; I know that we're gonna be probably announcing other dates first."

The band did recently announce that guitarist and songwriter D.J. Ashba will join the lineup for its upcoming tour. Ashba has most recently been seen as part of SIXX: A.M., the side project started by MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx.