Chinese Democracy to Arrive in November?

UPDATE: sixteen video promos for Chinese Democracy have just been released. They all follow the same format, and don't offer too much, but hey, we'll take whatever we can get! 

View one of the promos below:

Yesterday, hell froze over (wait, that was The Eagles): according to apparently reliable sources, Guns n' Roses will release their long (and we mean long) awaited album Chinese Democracy on November 23rd. The album will be available exclusively through Best Buy and will be released on a Sunday in order to best integrate into Best Buy's sales cycle (or, um, something like that).

Other advantages to the late November Sunday release date? The extra two days of availability will give Chinese Democracy that much more time to rack up sales for that all-important Billboard chart debut position. Additionally, the album is poised to be one of the few big sellers this holiday season; it's a name release with a built-in fanbase. Combine that with stocking stuffer gift potential and Chinese Democracy becomes one of the big stories in a crumbling CD market. And of course, you'll be able to listen to the album while eating Thanksgiving dinner, a dream denied American families for over a decade.

So how will it do? That's the multi-million dollar question. Had this album been released even five years ago, when more people still actually purchased music, sales figures would likely be far greater than they are likely to be now. That said, there is little reason to think Chinese Democracy won't be the biggest first week seller we've seen in ages. Straight up rock fans, the kind that haven't been contributing to Lil Wayne's bottom line, and who have been waiting for a Big Rock Album, will purchase this thing in droves. Not to mention the hardcore GNR fans, of which there are many. How it does after the first week, and month, is completely up in the air.

The (probable) release date is the final piece of a marketing scheme that has seen album track Shackler's Revenge released on Rock Band 2 and another new tune, If The World, play over the credits of the just-released flick Body of Lies. Now if only Axl would lose the cornrows, we'd be all set.