SLASH AND BURN: G N' R GUITARIST LEAVES BAND

The war of the roses is over. Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash has quit the band. In a fax sent to MTV on Tuesday night, lead singer Axl Rose said that Slash hasn't been musically involved with the band since April 1994 and the business relationship between the two was dissolved in December 1995. Rose owns the Guns N' Roses moniker and could continue under that name, but the singer issued an ultimatum to bassist Duff McKagan and drummer Matt Sorem, saying that if they didn't get their act together in the studio, there would be no more Guns N' Roses.

Slash responded by saying: "Axl and I have not been capable of seeing eye to eye on Guns N' Roses for some time. We recently tried to collaborate, but at this point, I'm no longer in the band. I'd like to think we could work together in the future if we were able to work out our differences."

A source close to the band said the two have squabbled repeatedly over musical direction; Rose wants the band to continue to evolve while Slash prefers the blues-based hard rock sound that made them famous. The two also disagree on who should replace rhythm guitarist Gilby Clarke. Rose wants his close friend Paul Huge, but according to the source, "Slash can't stand him."

Rose reportedly has 15 new songs ready to go for the next GNR record, and McKagan has his own material as well. According to another source, Slash's material written for Guns N' Ro