Guns N' Roses have been working on their comeback album, Chinese Democracy, for so long now that folks are starting to think it's every bit as elusive as its namesake. But GNR drummer Tommy Stinson, currently touring his solo album Village Gorilla Head, promises that it will appear before there are democratic elections in the People's Republic.

"It's really close," he says. "There are a few small things to finish up, and some negotiating with the record company. So I'm guessing it'll be released sometime in the new year, and of course we'll tour the world afterwards."

Stinson says Democracy sounds "a little like the old Guns, but a lot deeper lyrically. There's more introspective and socially minded stuff, and musically it takes a lot more risks than they ever took. It's going to be amazing."