MusicRadar.com has issued an interview with THE CULT guitarist Billy Duffy, in which he discusses the band's new album, Choice Of Weapon. An excerpt follows:

Q: You're not known for taking big guitar solos, but you do have a few on the new album. 'Life>Death' and 'Amnesia' have some nice lead breaks.

A: "Yeah, there's a few. I'm not a big solo guy. I go in and just wing them. The guitarists from the era I came from weren't into solos, and I'm probably the best soloist of the bunch. That's not to say it's my thing, 'cause it's not. I like melodic interpretations, like ROXY MUSIC and BOWIE – although Mick Ronson was a massive soloist. But you know what I mean - I never wanted to practice guitar solos. It always seemed like a kid practicing the violin. I always thought that there were more exciting things to do, people to meet and all that."

Q: What was it like working with Bob Rock on the new album? The band has a history with him…

A: "Bob is great. We've done four albums with him, and he really 'gets' us. Ian is always trying to bring different elements into The Cult, and he got Chris Goss to be involved. They've worked together in the past. And all credit to Chris, he did a lot of heavy lifting on this album. But Bob came in and really finished things. That's what he was: The Finisher. He'd come in when we were floundering, and he knew just what to do. Bob is a real hook guy; he knows what the songs need to grab people. But he's also big picture. He'd listen to songs and go, 'Where's The Cult? Where's Ian and Billy?' He can zone in very quickly and see where we have to go."

Read the full interview here.

The Cult recently announced its 2012 summer tour of Europe that will include headline shows, festivals, special dates with GUNS N' ROSES, and main support on an OZZY & FRIENDS show. The tour is in support of The Cult's first new album in five years, Choice Of Weapon, which is set for a May 21st release date internationally, and a May 22nd release date in North America, on Cooking Vinyl worldwide.

The 14-date trek kicks off June 28th in Belgrade with The Cult as main support for Ozzy & Friends, then to Austria and Romania with Guns N' Roses, followed by a slew of headline club shows, and then wrapping up on July 19th in Portugal, sharing the stage with GARBAGE.

Choice Of Weapon was produced by Bob Rock (METALLICA). It was written by Ian Astbury and Billy Duffy, recorded in New York City, Los Angeles, the California high desert, and the band's Witch Mountain studio between July and December 2011. The new release features founding members Astbury on vocals and Duffy on guitars, with drummer John Tempesta and bassist Chris Wyse.

Choice Of Weapon tracklist:

'Honey From a Knife'

'Elemental Light'

'For The Animals'

'Life>Death'

'The Wolf'

'Amnesia'

'Lucifer'

'Wilderness Now'

'A Pale Horse'

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

Confirmed dates for The Cult's 2012 European tour are as follows:

June

28 - Belgrade, Serbia - USCE Park (with Ozzy & Friends)
29 - Graz, Austria - Schwarzl Freizeit Zetrum (with GN'R)

July

1 - Bucharest, Romania - Rock the City Festival (with GN'R, Faith No More)
3 - Split, Croatia - Spaladium Arena (headline)
4 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Kino Siska (headline)
7 - Zottegem, Belgium, Rock Zottegem Festival
8 - Weert, Netherlands - Bospop Festival
10 - Utrecht, Netherlands - Tivoli (headline)
13 - Pizzola Sul Brenta, Italy - Contarini Festival (headline)
14 - Rimini, Italy - Velvet Rock (headline)
15 - Milano, Italy - Carroponte (headline)
17 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz (headline)
18 - Madrid, Spain - La Riviera (headline)
19 - Porto, Portugal - Mares Vivas Festival (with Garbage)