Aerosmith is back in the saddle, recording tracks with producer Jack Douglas for what will be their 15th studio album. So what can we expect to hear from the boys from Boston this time around -- and when will we hear it?

This year marked the tenth anniversary of Aerosmith's most recent album of original material, the million-selling 'Just Push Play' -- and capped a decade filled with tours, fights, solo projects, rehab stints, 'American Idol,' and album after album of reissued, repackaged, and reheated songs from the vaults. Other than 2004's covers project 'Honkin' on Bobo,' they've made time for pretty much for everything except recording together.

Based on the snippets of works-in-progress that we've heard during the band's periodic video updates from the studio, the new (and as-yet untitled) record should offer more of a stripped-down rock sound than the Aerosmith records of the '90s.

Back in July, we caught a glimpse of Steven Tyler and Joe Perry working on a new song and heard an enthused Perry saying, "The first song that we put together yesterday, we didn’t use a click track and it does not move out of range. It’s unbelievable, it’s scary… so locked, it’s unbelievable."

 

 

In August, Douglas told us to expect the new record in May 2012, and promised it will deliver plenty of "raw, nasty, tough rock with a good deal of the old Aerosmith ‘tongue in cheek.’" A few weeks later, we caught another brief glimpse of the band working together on a new track, and heard this 30-second taste of what we might hear when the new record finally arrives.

 

 

Later in the fall, with the basic tracks mostly finished, bassist Tom Hamilton started opening up about the album, saying "We can see and hear the album in our minds; we can kind of tell what’s going on.' And I like to describe it as being crunchy on the outside with a creamy center." He later posted a video update in which he promised the band is still on track for an early 2012 release. "Next spring, baby. That’s what we want. I know you’ve been waiting a long time; we’ve been waiting. We’re excited. A lot of people that we know and trust who have come and heard what we’re working on think we’re doing something really cool. So I hope you’ll think the same thing."

Of course, anything can happen in the wild world of Aerosmith, but we're taking the band's word for it and penciling in May 2012 on our calendars. They've had long enough to work out the kinks and write a full album of hard-rocking original material, after all. So tell us: are you looking forward to the new Aerosmith album?

More From Ultimate Classic Rock