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New G N' R tracks are now on YouTube

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It looks like Guns N' Roses near-mythical album Chinese Democracy is imminent. On 18 June Antiquiet.com, a little-known US rock website, made nine songs available.

A poster named Skwerl said, without explaining the source of the tracks, "I always said that the more that Axl and Geffen jerked around trying to figure out how to release this finally finished album that we've all been waiting over 13 years for, the greater the chances would be that it would slip out of a pressing plant or office somewhere and wind up in the hands of some asshole with a blog, So ... hey, I told you so." The songs were then removed hours later, with a note that, "we got a call from Guns N' Roses".

Billboard magazine later reported that Antiquiet received a cease-and-desist letter from Axl Rose's lawyers, but the songs had time to get to other file sharing sites, including YouTube.

And six days later, the songs are still there. Listen to Message For You, Rhiad And The Bedouins, and If The World. There is now also a Buddyhead remix of If The World also online.

Either Axl Rose's lawyers have suddenly got slack, or it looks like the album really is on its way.

Guns N' Roses' last studio release of original songs was 1991's Use Your Illusion, and only Axl Rose remains of the lineup. Amazon.co.uk are now quoting a release date of 25 August. Ex-drummer Matt Sorum recently told MusicRadar a Guns N' Roses reunion of that year's lineup is likely.