The Tracii Guns-led version of L.A. GUNS has inked a deal with Steve Vai's Favored Nations label for the release of the band's as-yet-untitled new album. The CD is tentatively due in late April.

L.A. GUNS has recently been touring in two competing lineups: one featuring Tracii Guns, and another led by his Eighties bandmates, singer Phil Lewis and drummer Steve Riley. "Tracii's L.A. GUNS is bogus," Riley told Rolling Stone magazine. "People want to hear the songs sung by the original lead singer." Guns countered, "Those guys are a couple of dirty motherfuckers. I hired them for my band — if you get hired as a manager at McDonald's, you don't take over the McDonald's."

Guns told Rolling Stone that he was going to court, and he hoped to get the name back. "I just want to put it to bed and start a new band," he said. "This has proved beyond 'Spinal Tap' ridiculous. The next chapter would be us trying to book a convenience store and battling over the $300 they'd pay us."