The 2 New Guns N’ Roses Songs Only Mildly Successful – Slash Says Future Music Will Be All New

What’s going on with Guns N’ Roses’ two new songs, “Atlas” and “Nothin’”? Released on December 4, 2025 with plenty of fanfare, both tracks—originating from the Chinese Democracy sessions of the 2000s—were expected to be added to the band’s 2026 setlists. While no one anticipated instant classics on par with their peak-era material, the songs haven’t made much of an impact despite the rarity of new GN’R releases. Since 2008, the band has issued fewer than ten songs, all of them older tracks with updated recordings.

Anytime Guns N’ Roses tour or release new music, it’s treated like a major event. Fans have enjoyed the tours, even if they don’t quite match the fire of the band’s heyday 30 years ago. But the new recordings have left a significant portion of the fanbase underwhelmed, and they haven’t been embraced anywhere near as strongly as the band’s pre‑1991 output. “Atlas” failed to chart, has 2.5 million YouTube views, under a million Spotify streams, and received mixed reviews.

“Nothin’” has fared better—mixed-to-positive reviews, 5 million YouTube views, over 2 million Spotify streams, and a current #14 spot on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart. Still, these numbers are modest for a band with GN’R’s legacy and massive media spotlight.

That may be why Slash told Loudwire Nights this week that the band intends to move forward with entirely new material—and that no more Chinese Democracy–era tracks will be released. “We're obviously going toward making a whole new record of original stuff. It’s not something we really discuss too much, but we have a ton of material, and so we have to go in and sort of hone in on that and see what's going to happen.”

The idea of brand‑new music is exciting, but fans remain skeptical. Some doubt Axl Rose’s current vocal abilities compared to his prime. Others question the band’s songwriting without fan favorite Izzy Stradlin. Some doubt they’ll even make it into a recording studio. Others wonder whether the band can maintain chemistry long enough to complete a full album. And above all, many doubt that Axl and the band can record an album in a typical timeframe—six months or less—without delays caused by perfectionism and endless tinkering.

Most fans will likely take Slash’s comments with a grain of salt and adopt a “wait and see” attitude. But despite the doubts, GN’R fans will always hope for a great album—because this is Guns N’ Roses.

What do you think. Do these songs deserve better?  Should they be getting more attention? Will they shine more in a live setting? And will we ever get a full album of brand‑new Guns N’ Roses material. Share your thoughts in the comments.