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DOWNLOADS
LEAKS
Guns n' Roses
Chinese Democracy demos

AFTER A LOONY DECADE-LONG DELAY, it’s a relief just to know that Axl Rose really has been recording ­ and surprisingly enough, judging by three freshly leaked demos, Chinese Democracy could end up being worth the wait. "Better" is the strongest track: With robotic rhythm guitar, poppy verses, an aggro chorus and an exotic falsetto intro, it beats most of USE YOUR ILLUSION I and II. In contrast, "There was a Time" wants to be a "Don’t Cry"-style epic but sounds more like an overproduced mess. "I.R.S.," however, is an effective hard-rock tune, nimbly sliding drum loops underneath crunchy ascending power chords and Rose howling like he just got off that bus from Indiana. Hey, Axl, put the thing out ­ it already sounds better than Velvet Revolver.

BRIAN HIATT