SLASH On New GUNS N' ROSES Drummer ISAAC CARPENTER: 'From The First Day That He Came In To Audition, He's Just Been Amazing'

During an October 23 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash was asked what it has been like playing with the band's new drummer Isaac Carpenter, who replaced Frank Ferrer in March. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Isaac's killer. It's been great. From the first day that he came in to audition, he's just been amazing. And it was funny 'cause when he came in to audition, he was one of probably six or seven guys that we tried out — all known players whose names I will not mention — but it got to a point where we'd narrow it down to, 'Okay, we want four guys to come back', then three guys, then two guys, and Isaac was always there; he was always one of the guys. And the way that he plays and then also his sort of spirit and his whole attitude all together just… We sort of knew from the first day, but we kept going to make sure. So it's been great. And he's really given a lot of energy to the show."

Slash also talked about GUNS N' ROSES singer Axl Rose's recent onstage meltdown. During the opening song of the band's concert last Saturday (October 18) at Estadio Huracán in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Rose appeared to lose his temper, violently throwing his microphone at the drum kit, tearing off his leather jacket and storming off stage. At a later point in the show, which was part of GUNS N' ROSES' South American tour, Rose walked up the drum riser and kicked the bass drum, telling the crowd: "So, I'll just try and wing this". At the time, it was unclear whether Rose's frustration was directed at the sound onstage or if he was dissatisfied by Carpenter's performance behind the kit. GUNS N' ROSES later issued a statement explaining that "Axl's in-ear monitor pack had only the percussion in his ears versus his entire mix" and that "the situation had nothing to do with Isaac Carpenter's playing, who is top notch and a great drummer."

Slash told "Trunk Nation": "Oh, that whole thing, God, it got so blown out of proportion. Well, we all are on in-ears. So for monitors, instead of wedges on the stage, we use in-ear monitors. And so there was something fucked up in Axl's mix where the only thing that he could hear was the drums. And that was it. And it was the first song. So he's trying to communicate that to the engineers and they don't know what the fuck he's talking about. And so it was one of those frantic moments trying to get it together at the beginning of the set. And that was it. And he was pointing out that it's the drums; it's not something else. Whatever your myriad of different things it possibly could be, it was the drums, and that's what he was trying to convey. But it got really blown out of proportion. Jesus. I guess people were thinking that it had something to do with Isaac because it was directed at the kit, but it wasn't about Isaac."

Prior to joining GUNS N' ROSES, Carpenter was a member of GN'R bassist Duff McKagan's LOADED. Isaac's career also spans an impressive roster of acts, including live and studio work with AWOLNATION, Adam Lambert, the hardcore metal outfit BARBARIANS OF CALIFORNIA, A PERFECT CIRCLE, THE EXIES, OURS and BLACK LAB, in addition to his large session film and TV roster. Carpenter made a name for himself by uniquely blending versatility and groove with crushing force and technical skill, cementing his reputation as a multifaceted drummer in the industry.

Earlier this year, McKagan spoke about Carpenter's role in GUNS N' ROSES, comparing him to the band's previous drummers Ferrer, Steven Adler and Matt Sorum. "Isaac has got this ability to swing and groove that only a few drummers have," Duff said. "Steven had it as well, Steven Adler, and Matt is a great, solid drummer with amazing fills — and Matt's amazing. They're both amazing drummers. And Isaac somehow blends both of those two guys and adds his own thing. So he adds a new sort of excitement to the songs. And the groove and swing of the songs right now with Isaac is super impressive and super fun."

Slash told "Trunk Nation" that GUNS N' ROSES will "definitely" tour the U.S. in 2026. "[An announcement will] be coming soon, so I can safely say that that's happening," he said. "So we've been doing a bunch of international stuff all year so we have to come back to the States, so we planned [that] for next year."