VELVET REVOLVER/ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash has issued the following update:

"It has been a pretty productive summer so far. My [solo] record should be done next month and the recording has gone smoothly and sounds fucking great.

"Steven Adler [ex-GUNS N' ROSES drummer] played on the first of the last three tracks yesterday, along with Flea [RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS] on bass. The song kicks ass and the drums and bass sound so recognizable and sound so fucking good.

"Steven is staying clean, which is great; Flea is just amazing, period.

"Steven, Flea and I all lived and met in the same neighborhood in West Hollywood back in the day. Yesterday we had a great time reminiscing about when we all first started playing rock and roll and how school didn't fit into the plan. We were like 15. Flea was the first one to join an 'established' band called ANTHEM. I remember being envious. I had a band called TIDUS SLOAN but we didn't have a singer. Sound familiar? Steven and I didn't really have a band together until a few years later when we joined Nikki Sixx's old band LONDON after Izzy [Stradlin, ex-GUNS N' ROSES guitarist] left. Which, incidentally, was very short-lived.

"Izzy came down and played on a track a couple weeks ago, that sounds great too. It was good to see him; it's been awhile. Our guitars together really do have a sound all their own.

"Besides having some friends of Eric Valentine's [producer] come down from Northern California and play cello and violin on a track, I haven't had any other guest musicians so far. Having Flea, Steven and Izzy play has been a real gas. There might be a couple more surprise musicians on this record I think.

Slash has been recording his solo CD with former NINE INCH NAILSdrummer Josh Freese and ex-JANE'S ADDICTION bassist Chris Chaney. Confirmed guest singers so far include Ozzy Osbourne and AVENGED SEVENFOLD's M. Shadows. Freese told MusicRadar.com that Iggy Pop, Fergie (a.k.a. Stacy Ann Ferguson) of the BLACK EYED PEAS and Chris Cornell (SOUNDGARDEN, AUDIOSLAVE) will also appear on the LP. Working songtitles include "We're All Gonna Die", "These Last Words", "Crucify The Dead" and "Beautiful, Dangerous".