Bands released more music during Covid on average or prepared albums for the coming years. It’s really only GNR (or one of the members specifically) that used it as an excuse not to release anything. But yes, other forum members are right- if it wasn’t covid, it would be something. We saw that from 2011 and onwards.
Axl doesn’t care. He has no desire to release music and apparently none to even sign off on it anymore. GNR is essentially a retirement job for him. It’s been a consistent cycle since 2018- take half a year off, tour for half a year with one or two more covers, rinse and repeat. We are far out of this band’s prime and well into the sunset years where they’ve sold out. The shows are to see a legacy act and there’s nothing beyond that anymore. Slash and Duff release music on their own and are content doing that. It has taken me a long time to accept that this is the reality of GNR and I think a lot of people are either in agreement or will agree within the next few years.