GUNS N’ ROSES unveiled the music video for their brand-new single “The General”. The cinematic clip notably stands out as the band’s first-ever artificial intelligence-powered music video
The video for “The General” intercuts 20 live vignettes with an A.I.-animated psychedelic visual trip. Between the concert footage, it dives into the subconscious of a young boy who stares down the monsters of dark childhood memories, blurring worlds in the process. The result is unlike anything the band has done before and continues a longstanding historic tradition of bold visuals from GUNS N’ ROSES.
To bring this vision to life, GUNS N’ ROSES collaborated with Dan Potter — creative director of London-based creative studio Creative Works. This was a collaboration between real designers and artificial designers, and the inspiration came from within the band.
GUNS N’ ROSES‘ limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single, “Perhaps,” features “The General” as its B-side, and enthusiasts had the opportunity to pre-order it starting in August 2023.
The live debut of “The General” took place on November 2, 2023, at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, where Axl Rose, the band’s lead singer, introduced it as an unreleased song, expressing anticipation for its potentially intriguing reception.
Originating from the same sessions as GUNS N’ ROSES‘ “Chinese Democracy” album, “The General” had its music and title contributed by ex-GN’R drummer Bryan “Brain” Mantia and former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach, as disclosed earlier. This track, like the 2021 singles “Hard Skool” and “Absurd,” was part of the band’s creative output during the “Chinese Democracy” sessions. A rough demo version of “Perhaps” had previously leaked on YouTube.
In February 2022, GUNS N’ ROSES unveiled a four-song EP titled “Hard Skool,” exclusively available through their official store. The EP featured the 2021 releases “Hard Skool” and “Absurd” alongside live renditions of “Don’t Cry” and “You’re Crazy.”
Notably, “Hard Skool” and “Absurd” were first shared in September 2021, with the latter being a reinterpretation of GUNS N’ ROSES’ previously unreleased track “Silkworms.”
Should it materialize, the upcoming GUNS N’ ROSES studio album would mark the first under the GUNS banner since “Chinese Democracy” and the first to reunite Slash, Rose, and bassist Duff McKagan since 1993.