Queen + Paul Rodgers have set an Oct. 28 U.S. release date for "The Cosmos Rocks," the band's first new album since 1995 and its first since Rodgers stepped in for the late Freddie Mercury in 2004.
The group has already debuted several of the new songs at shows and on TV, including first single "C-lebrity," which features vocals from Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, and "Say It's Not True," written in honor of Nelson Mandela's 46664 AIDS initiative.
The 14-track "The Cosmos Rocks" will also feature "Cosmos Rockin'," "Time To Shine," "Still Burnin'," "Small," "Warboys," "We Believe," "Call Me," "Voodoo," "Some Things That Glitter," "Through the Night" and "Surf's Up ... School's Out!"
"I think it touches a lot of emotions," Rodgers told Billboard.com recently of the album. "Every song is different from every other song, but I do think there is a very powerful emotional content in every song. I'm a great believer in variety in music, and so are the other guys."
After a pitch-modulated voice exclaims, "What planet is this?" opener "Cosmos Rockin'" blasts in with a handclap-bolstered beat and a peppy blues riff from guitarist Brian May. "Time To Shine" is an atmospheric rocker with an inspirational vocal ("Raise up your mind / It's time to shine"), while "Still Burning" is a swaggering rocker that nods to Rogers' tenure in Bad Company and Free.
Elsewhere, "Small" and "We Believe" are acoustic-leaning power ballads, "Call Me" conjures the multi-tracked operatic singing that was Queen's Mercury-era trademark and the stomping "Surf's Up ... School's Out!" closes the proceedings on an arena-rocking note.
The group begins a world tour Sept. 15 in Moscow, and will touch down in North America in early 2009.
The group has already debuted several of the new songs at shows and on TV, including first single "C-lebrity," which features vocals from Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins, and "Say It's Not True," written in honor of Nelson Mandela's 46664 AIDS initiative.
The 14-track "The Cosmos Rocks" will also feature "Cosmos Rockin'," "Time To Shine," "Still Burnin'," "Small," "Warboys," "We Believe," "Call Me," "Voodoo," "Some Things That Glitter," "Through the Night" and "Surf's Up ... School's Out!"
"I think it touches a lot of emotions," Rodgers told Billboard.com recently of the album. "Every song is different from every other song, but I do think there is a very powerful emotional content in every song. I'm a great believer in variety in music, and so are the other guys."
After a pitch-modulated voice exclaims, "What planet is this?" opener "Cosmos Rockin'" blasts in with a handclap-bolstered beat and a peppy blues riff from guitarist Brian May. "Time To Shine" is an atmospheric rocker with an inspirational vocal ("Raise up your mind / It's time to shine"), while "Still Burning" is a swaggering rocker that nods to Rogers' tenure in Bad Company and Free.
Elsewhere, "Small" and "We Believe" are acoustic-leaning power ballads, "Call Me" conjures the multi-tracked operatic singing that was Queen's Mercury-era trademark and the stomping "Surf's Up ... School's Out!" closes the proceedings on an arena-rocking note.
The group begins a world tour Sept. 15 in Moscow, and will touch down in North America in early 2009.
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