Guitarist Slash has described his former Guns N' Roses bandmate Axl Rose as “fucking phenomenal”.

Slash, who quit the group in the mid-90s, said he was open to speaking to the singer again, despite their fractured relationship.

“I’m more standoffish because I know how vehemently he hates me,” the guitarist told the New York Post. "So that sort of makes me doubt it.

“But if we ran into each other and all that animosity were to pass for a second, then I’m sure we could have an interesting conversation.”

Slash, who is currently promoting his new solo album, also praised Rose for his work on Guns N' Roses poorly received 2008 album, 'Chinese Democracy'.

“It was the perfect Axl record - exactly what I would have expected from the final years of us working together, and seeing where he was headed musically,” he said.

“It’s very heavy; sort of a dark, depressing record. He’s fucking phenomenal.”

Slash's eponymously entitled new album features guest collaborations with the likes of Andrew Stockdale, Fergie and Dave Grohl.

(by Jason Gregory)