So far in 2012 we've already been treated to new albums from Van Halen and Bruce Springsteen.
What other classic rock artists are coming out with new albums this year?
RUSH
When: Roughly Spring of 2012.
Rush claim they're starting work on their new LP this winter, and have been so bold as to already indicate a time window and title for the release, "Clockwork Angels". Rush have been on a roll lately as more elder statesmen of prog--what with a riveting documentary on the history of the band, and a retrospective tour spanning their entire catalogue, called "Time Machine."
ZZ TOP
When: March or April 2012.
ZZ's new Rick Rubin-produced material has been baking most of 2011, and looks to finally be golden brown around the edges and ready to come out in 2012. Despite delays, they did manage to burn a CD of their newest single, "Flyin' High," and send it up with Astronaut Michael Fossum
SLAYER
When: Unknown, still in writing stages.
Not as many details available as of press time on this one, but the metal band that just won't slow down with age has gone so far as to recently announce that they are underway with the writing phase, on a new release that looks likely for a release sometime in 2012.
AEROSMITH
When: Spring 2012.
Aerosmith has been plagued by delays in 2011 as well (due largely to drama between Stephen Tyler and the rest of the band, and his ensuing reaction to sign on to American Idol), but still have been recording some new songs in L.A., as well as Joe Perry's home studio, The Boneyard, in suburban Boston. They've enlisted old-school producer Jack Douglas for this one (Get Your Wings, Rocks, Toys in the Attic), promised the new stuff sounds more "dirty and nasty" than the last decade or so of songs, and it's tentatively due in spring 2012.
KISS
When: Early 2012.
KISS' Paul Stanley has gone public on the sound of the new in-progress KISS LP, "Monster", as being "a mix between Destroyer and Revenge." KISS have also apparently ripped a page from the Foo Fighters' playbook, and decided to record digital-free and totally analog for the new record, direct to good ol' two-inch tape. Naturally, the band plans a huge world tour behind it's release, probably adorned with a lucrative corporate sponsor.
BOB SEGER
When: Tentatively fall of 2012.
Silver hair or not, Seger has been scorching U.S. arena stages in 2011, and is nearing his fiftieth year of touring. Except for summer (he says he hates to tour in the summer; doesn't like the sound of the summer sheds), when he hunkered down in a studio, knocking out a couple cool covers by Leonard Cohen and Little Richard (available for free download on his site), and starting piecing together new songs for his first studio LP since 2006. Seger claims to have eight songs done, and is shooting for a fall 2012 release.
BLACK SABBATH
When: Fall of 2012.
Not much more is known about this new album, other than Tony Iommi alluding to have been on a riff-writing streak in 2011, and that the band (together with announcing their intentions to tour in 2012) will enter the studio in 2012 with producer Rick Rubin, for the band's first classic-lineup studio LP since, just over 33 years ago.
SOUNDGARDEN
When: Spring 2012.
After initial public statements about their new material in which they stated that new Soundgarden LP "will be ready whenever it's ready", Chris Cornell recently changed his tune with the press, and has said that the new Soundgarden tunes are just about ready to go, and should be out this Spring.
Hopefully all of these will stay on schedule for the new year. Who knows, right?
We'll keep you posted.
