Tracii Guns: ‘Chinese Democracy’ Not a Brilliant Guns n’ Roses Release

Few people are as important to the 80s metal scene as Tracii Guns. The original "Guns" in Guns n' Roses and the lead guitarist in L.A. Guns, Tracii has spent more than two decades making music – but his modern tastes might surprise you.

"I'm 43 and I don't hold the torch for metal. I don't subscribe to the thought that if it's too loud, you're too old. I've never been that guy. I listen to things that people would not expect. I listen to a lot of female vocalists like Nathalie Merchant and things that really interest me more at this age than crushing metal. You know, you change. I love playing crushing metal but I just don't listen to it as much as I used to," says Guns.

It was common for L.A. Guns to compete with Mötley Crüe and Guns n' Roses for shows back in the heyday of Metal. It's fitting, then, that Tracii has something to say about the new albums each band has released within the past year.

['Chinese Democracy'] "... is not a brilliant Guns n' Roses record in my opinion. I really love Guns n' Roses and there's a certain thing...they made such an impact on music and from them, I expect a certain type of music. When you get big, you kind of get cornered into that, you know? I think if you really analyze it, you'll realize Axl's performance is really amazing and very believable and his singing is as good as it ever was for sure on that record. The choice of styles and the music part... I think that it's over-indulgent, sterile and not that exciting. I have listened to it a few times and nothing really captures me," confesses Guns. "When I heard 'Saints of Los Angeles,' [by Mötley Crüe] I thought it was a home run. I thought that's what Mötley Crüe sounds like...and I think that record really sticks true to what a typical Mötley Crüe fan would expect of them."

L. A. Guns will release a new album this year.