good question.....who knows for sure other than axl if it's that.

i will say that, as important as izzy was to the band, axl and slash were all that was important in the general public's eyes and slash leaving meant the breakup oif the band one way or the other.

i don't see slash's success as the reason. axl doesn't seem in any way interested in doing what slash does to be so popular. plus.....the hate can be traced as far back as the 90's before the accumulative success of slash's endeavors and the arguable failure of cd. may be a secondary issue but something happened at some point. could be as little as the fact that slash left first.

axl will perform if beta lets him

axl and his people have made it clear that he is not interested in a reunion but until that changes any of the other guys can stay quiet, they can waffle, or they can yell form the mountain tops that they want to reunite........it doesn't matter because axl will always be to blame for it not happening, in the public's eye.

until axl comes out and tries we will never know for sure if he is the only roadblock or if it will happen.

Watch You Bleed
The Saga of Guns N Roses
by Stephen Davis

is the best book i've come across