As reported yesterday, THE CULT will release their ninth studio album called Choice Of Weapon on May 22nd via Cooking Vinyl Records. Co-produced by Chris Goss (QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MASTERS OF REALITY) and longtime collaborator Bob Rock (METALLICA, AEROSMITH), Choice Of Weapon was made in several studios, including the band's own Witch Mountain as well as spots in New York City, Los Angeles and the California desert.

According to Billboard, Choice Of Weapon will be preceded by the first single, 'For The Animals', which Astbury says reflects the Cult's attitude about making music. "The Cult is like an archetypal outsider group; we've never really fit in with one particular sect or genre," he explains. "We've never been pigeonholed. We've stayed open to other influences... But some people don't like that. They want to say, 'We know who you are' and they try to put a leash on you. So this is about identifying with a raw, visceral animal. We don't belong to anybody. We go where nature takes us."

Astbury adds: "Our intention was to make a record that was fresh. It's of its time, and we captured exactly where we're at right now, in the early part of the 21st century. I'm watching so many artists just terrified to make a statement of any kind. They're afraid they're going to get ripped apart in the blogosphere or torn apart by some critic who's basically just out of diapers. So many (artists) seem to be scared to come out and say what they feel. A lot of rock 'n' roll music has lost its teeth."

Read more at Billboard.

Choice Of Weapon tracklist:

'Honey From a Knife'

'Elemental Light'

'For The Animals'

'Life>Death'

'The Wolf'

'Amnesia'

'Lucifer'

'Wilderness Now'

'A Pale Horse'

'This Night in the City Forever'

A free download of the track 'Lucifer' can be found below: