SLASH: 'I Have A Hard Time Picturing' Any Kind Of Future Collaboration With AXL ROSE

In a brand new interview with GuitarWorld.com, ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash was asked whether he could ever envision himself writing and recording with GN'R lead singer Axl Rose again.

"People have been speculating about it for years, but I really have a hard time picturing it," Slash replied. "There hasn't been any communication along those lines between he and I. I have a hard time picturing it, because I'm always focused on the next show. I'm one of those people who lives in the moment. I don't look too far into the future and I don't dwell too much on the past."

Slash recently told the Irish Examiner that he blames the media for causing "unnecessary conflict" between him and the other members of GUNS N' ROSES. Slash explained "I'm not bored with the fascination with [GUNS N' ROSES]. What I'm bored with is all the brouhaha with stuff the media have no idea what they are talking about... the causing of unnecessary conflict between the original members. It's just a lot of drama and sensationalism — everyone is trying to capitalize on that. I'm sick of it."

Slash, who left the group in 1996, told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that he never imagined he'd still be talking about GUNS N' ROSES years later. "It's weird because the hype and the, you know, sort of mythic whatever about the band has snowballed to where it's at at present, and it's bigger now than it was when the band was still together, which is really sort of, very surreal," he said.

Slash pointed the finger at the media despite Axl Rose calling him a "cancer" in a 2009 interview.

Ex-GUNS bassist Duff McKagan echoed Slash's words in his own interview with the Irish Examiner a few years back, saying, "The media starts running a little crazy with things. There was a Rolling Stone story about [Axl] a few years ago that painted him as a Howard Hughes sort of figure. And everybody used that as the template to write about Axl. None of it is true."

McKagan buried the hatched with Rose several years ago, and has since performed with the current version of GUNS N' ROSES a number of times.

Slash and Axl, however, have not spoken since Slash left the band 18 years ago. Rose said in a 2009 interview with Billboard, "What's clear is that one of the two of us will die before a reunion and however sad, ugly or unfortunate anyone views it, it is how it is."

GUNS N' ROSES was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2012. Slash, McKagan and original drummer Steven Adler attended the ceremony, while Axl and founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin stayed home.

Slash's new solo album, "World On Fire", comes out September 15.