Guns N’ Roses Release New Song “Hard Skool”

Raph_PH, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons
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Last month, hard rock legends Guns N’ Roses released their first new song since 2008. The track, “Absurd,” was an industrial punk stampede, with the band’s traditional snottiness couched in pure speed and fury. Now, Guns have dropped another new song, and simply put, this is more like it.

The band’s new song, “Hard Skool,” definitely plays with a bit more of the classic G’N’R sound, in that it feels fun but a little menacing, hardcore but insightful. Slash’s use of minor chords in the chorus really drives home the heart of the track’s hook, while Axl’s vocals feature less of the harsh intensity of “Absurd” and more of the classic shriek fans have come to know and love. Overall, it’s a fun-as-hell song that makes one think that Axl learned a thing or two during his tenure fronting AC/DC. Plus, the locker visualizer is some classic teenage rocker shit. Gotta love that diamond ‘S.’

Check out “Hard Skool” below:

Guns’ other new single, “Absurd,” definitely has a more modern take on G’N’R’s sound than a classic one — it’s very in-your-face, abrasive, punk-rock, and industrial-oriented. A lyric like, “Pussy full of maggots, isn’t that absurd” feels intense even for the guys who wrote “It’s So Easy.” In truth, it’s a song that could be performed by an act like Ministry or Filter and still make sense; that it’s a Guns original speaks to how the band are obviously trying to embrace the modern sonic landscape of Los Angeles. Accompanying the track is a visualizer featuring a Medusa-like gorgon whose color-changing skin and neon spit go well with its tone.

Listen to “Absurd” below:

Guns N’ Roses are wrapping up their U.S. stadium tour right now, but if you get the chance, catch ’em at one of the following dates live:

09/26 – Baltimore, MD @ Royal Farms Arena *
09/29 – Raleigh, NC @ PNC Arena *
10/02 – Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live Arena *
10/03 – Hollywood, FL @ Hard Rock Live Arena *

* = newly added show (not a rescheduled date)
^ = festival Date (no Mammoth WVH)

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Words by Chris Krovatin