What happened to Axel Rose?
Was it the veneers that did him in?
When I look at the trajectory of Axel Rose's life and career, I see a perfect case study of how these biomechanics work in practice.
Here's a rock star who had everything going for him - incredible talent, massive success, and natural good looks - only to watch it all deteriorate in ways that perfectly align with the patterns I've been observing for years.
Who is Axel Rose?
Axel Rose became one of the most recognizable voices in rock history as the lead singer of Guns N' Roses. The band exploded onto the scene in the late 1980s with their debut album "Appetite for Destruction," which became one of the best-selling debut albums of all time.
Rose's powerful, multi-octave voice and wild stage presence made him an instant rock icon. Songs like "Sweet Child O' Mine," "Welcome to the Jungle," and "Paradise City" dominated radio waves and MTV throughout the late 80s and early 90s. He was known for his unpredictable behavior, his signature bandana and leather pants look, and his ability to command massive stadium crowds.
At his peak, Axel Rose was arguably one of the biggest rock stars on the planet. Guns N' Roses sold over 100 million records worldwide, and Rose was considered both a musical genius and a volatile creative force who could make or break the band's success.
In his younger years he was in very good shape
Looking at photos of Axel Rose from the late 1980s and early 1990s, you can see he had excellent structure. He had a strong jawline, good facial symmetry, and that lean, wiry rock star physique that seemed almost immune to the excesses of the lifestyle.
And he did live the lifestyle. Rose was famous for his ability to party harder than almost anyone in the rock world. Stories of his drug and alcohol consumption during Guns N' Roses' heyday are pretty legendary. He would go on multi-day benders, consume massive amounts of alcohol and drugs, and then somehow still be able to perform with incredible energy.
This is exactly the pattern I’ve seen for years with people who have excellent natural structure - they can abuse their bodies in ways that would destroy most people, yet still maintain their health and appearance.
If lifestyle choices like drinking and drugs were the primary determinant of how someone ages and looks, how could Axel maintain his appearance and energy while living such an extreme lifestyle?
The answer is simple - he had great biomechanics working in his favor.
Then he did dental work
While there’s no smoking gun as to when he did dental work, I believe it was done in the early mid 2000’s.
He noticeably changes how he looks by 2004 as you can see in the pic above.
His structure is not bad but it has lost the ‘modelesque’ look it had in the early 1990’s. And i generally attribute that to some level of biomechanical collapse.
Then you can see that from 2004 to 2018 he continues to completely fall apart skeletally.
What did he do? Most likely veneers.
Above you see a dentist saying that he noticed that around 2010 Axel had the “Social Six” which is the name he gives when you’ve put veneers in as your top and bottom front six teeth.
Plus we don’t know if he did any further dental work that would have impacted his curve of spee. My view is that he likely did.
His biomechanics went on a sharp decline
The changes in Axel Rose became very apparent by the late 2000s. His face began to lose its sharp, angular definition. The strong jawline that had been part of his signature look started to soften and become less pronounced.
His body began to change in ways that couldn't be explained by simple weight gain. His entire physical structure appeared to be shifting. His neck seemed to shorten, his posture changed, and he developed that characteristic look of someone whose cervical spine is beginning to collapse.
This is exactly what I see happen when someone's curve of spee flattens and their skull begins to "deflate" - the entire architecture of the face changes.
Also interesting is how this physical decline coincided with Rose's well-documented behavioral changes. He became increasingly erratic, difficult to work with, and notorious for showing up hours late to concerts - when he showed up at all.
Neurological decline? You bet.
In fact he was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and it had gotten worse.
These days he is struggling with his health
The Axel Rose of today is a shadow of his former self, both physically and in terms of his performance capabilities.
His vocal abilities have also declined significantly. His once-powerful, multi-octave range has been reduced to a shadow of what it once was.
Rose has also struggled with various health issues over the years, including problems that have forced him to cancel shows and tours.
This year only a few months ago he collapsed and was rushed to the hospital.
And so it seems like a pretty rapid slide at this point. But Axel also doesn’t seem to be one to give up.
He’s a fighter.
Closing thoughts
A couple weeks ago my friend pings me and he’s like… “Ken.. wanna catch the Guns n’ Roses concert in Bangkok?”
He didn’t have tickets but his proposal was to buy them at the venue.
I was working and already had a call to take so I declined. But it reminded me of my childhood.
Growing up in Long Island… Guns N’ Roses were huge. About as big as Nirvana.
And Axel was a cultural icon.
But everyone falls to these biomechanics eventually.
That is…. till one day they learn the rules to master them ;)
Interesting! He's certainly changed a lot since his peak.
This seems to discount a lifetime of substance abuse Which certainly may contribute more to health decline than veneers. I love the reviv but I believe this is a stretch.