MATT SORUM Doesn't Think AXL ROSE Should Tour Under GUNS N' ROSES Name

Former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Matt Sorum, who joined the group in 1990, told The Pulse of Radio last week that he doesn't think it's cool for Axl Rose to take his current band on the road under the GUNS N' ROSES name. "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," he said. "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."

Rumors have been building about a GUNS N' ROSES tour for several months now, including one report that a co-headlining stadium trek with VAN HALEN was in the works for this summer.

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.