Confirming widely circulated rumors, Guns N’ Roses’ management company issued a press release this week stating that guitarists Robin Finck and Buckethead are members of the band.

According to the statement, the duo has joined frontman Axl Rose in the recording of a new GNR album titled "Chinese Democracy," and will participate in a tour that is expected to take to the road in the summer of 2001. No release date has been announced for the new album.

The experimental guitarist Buckethead--who often adorns his head with a bucket or mask when onstage--has worked with such disparate artists as DJ Q-Bert, Bill Laswell, Praxis and Bootsy Collins over the course of his professional career.

Finck left Nine Inch Nails in 1995 and first joined GNR about two years later. But Finck returned to NIN in 1999 for "The Fragile."

The statement issued by Big FD Management said that producer Bob Ezrin (Pink Floyd, Alice Cooper, Hanoi Rocks) has signed on as the album’s "official A&R man," but didn’t describe Ezrin’s duties in detail. Roy Thomas Baker is producing the new album.

MTV, citing "a source close to the band," reported that GNR drummer Josh Freese has left the band and that Bryan "Brain" Mantia of Primus has been playing drums for GN’R of late. Other reputed members of GN’R include bassist Tommy Stinson (formerly of the Replacements) and keyboardist Dizzy Reed.

Rose--who owns the rights to the Guns N' Roses name--reportedly has been working on a new album for the better part of the last decade. A long list of producers and musicians has been connected to the album, but few have been involved in the project for long.

The new incarnation of Guns N’ Roses is scheduled to perform its first concert in seven years at the Brazilian Rock in Rio festival in January.

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