The southern California punk band became the target of Axl Rose’s legal guns when thye proposed calling their new album “Chinese Democrazy (You Snooze You Lose),” a tongue in cheek reference to the Axl Rose led Guns N Roses album that has been under development for close to a decade now. 

The Offspring’s website reported (and has since rescinded news) that they received a cease and desist letter from Rose’s attorneys. There was no word if they will drop their proposed name due to the pressure from Rose’s legal guns or if this was just a joke to begin with and they would have actually went through with the album title in the first place.  

However, the world of music really is small and there is irony at work here as the newest member of the group actually worked on the Rose “Chinese Democracy” album. 

Last week longtime Offspring member Ron Welty left the group. "After more than 15 great years with The Offspring I've decided to leave to devote all my energies on a new project called Steady Ground. I wish Dexter, Noodles and Greg the best of luck moving forward and it's time for me to focus on my own thing," said Ron.

The band announced Ron’s departure and his replacement in the same statement. “The Offspring have hooked up with their friend Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, The Vandals) to play on the new record which will still be released this year,” reads the statement on the official Offspring website. “Dexter says ‘After being together so long it will be weird doing stuff without Ron, but we are really looking forward to putting this new record out. We wish him the best.’" 

Rose watchers will remember that Freese was once a member of Axl Rose’s Guns N’ Roses and worked on the never forthcoming “Chinese Democracy” album. However, Freese left Rose about 4 years ago. So it is anyone’s guess if any of his work will show up on the Rose album when it eventually appears. 

Cypress Hill Appear with Guns N Rosers.

In related news, members of the “Project”, former Guns N Roses guitarist Slash, drummer Matt Sorum and bassist Duff McKagan will team up with Cypress Hill’s Sen Dog (Sennen Reyes) and B-Real (Louis Freese, no relation to Josh) for a performance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” on Wed (March 26th).  

The new band featuring the former Gunners, codenamed “The Project”, does not yet have a full time vocalist, so they are asking their friends from Cypress Hill to jam with them on camera. Slash will be co-hosting the program all week long. 

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