During a 1999 interview, Rose announced the title "Chinese Democracy", saying: "There's a lot of Chinese democracy movements, and it's something that there's a lot of talk about, and it's something that will be nice to see. It could also just be like an ironic statement. I don't know, I just like the sound of it." Rose also said the album would feature a "melting pot" of varied sounds, including several heavy and aggressive songs. In late November 1999, Rose played several tracks for "Rolling Stone", who likened the new sound to "Led Zeppelin's "Physical Graffiti" remixed by Beck and Trent Reznor".