Pass.

I saw the Metallica GnR tour at Phoenix International in Phoenix. Metallica having taken the stage first, most of the crowd, myself included, left to let GnR play to the crickets of the desert.

If I hear anyone who knows metal say something good about them I might give a listen.

I'm actually a little bummed. I so wanted this to be good, but it was mostly generic and lame. Aside from Axl's screetching there at the beginning, this could have been asong by any aging rocker. I'm reminded of Alice Cooper latest offerings. If you like that stuff, this is the ticket. Just seems a little out of touch.

Shouldn't the band just be called N' Roses since it's only Axl that's left from the orginal lineup?

And I tried listening to this for about 30 seconds. The new Metallica is better than this. And that ain't saying much.

Maybe it's best to wait until we hear the whole album (which, apparently, will only be available through one particular home electronics chain).

But this first taste? It's a decent track, but nothing spectacular or earth-moving -- and not very encouraging. I mean, 15 years and all that drama for this? This isn't a Beethoven or Mozart symphony or a Brian Wilson album. This is a 4-minute rock song by a performer (can't call GNR a band) who made his musical rep by doing something that sounded bold and different. Nothing bold or different here ... We'll hear the rest Nov. 21, I guess ...