"Music from Another Dimension!" is the fifteenth studio album by American rock band Aerosmith, released on November 6, 2012, by Columbia Records. It marked their first studio album since Honkin' on Bobo in 2004, and the first to feature all-new material since 2001's Just Push Play. The album, which was produced by Jack Douglas, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, and Marti Frederiksen (on three tracks), has the distinction of being the longest gap between Aerosmith's studio albums. It also represents the band's final album under their contract with Sony/Columbia Records. The album is their longest studio effort, with a total runtime of nearly 68 minutes. Singles from the album include "Legendary Child", "Lover Alot", "What Could Have Been Love", and "Can't Stop Lovin' You".
Music from Another Dimension! debuted at number five on the Billboard 200, selling 63,000 copies in its first week, marking a significant drop from previous debuts. The album's recording process was marked by tension within the band, particularly after the 2010 Cocked, Locked, Ready to Rock tour, which featured on-stage incidents between Tyler and Perry, and Tyler's new role as a judge on American Idol, which he did not inform his bandmates about beforehand. Despite these tensions, the band began working on the album in 2011, with regular updates shared with fans.
The album's release was delayed from its original August 28, 2012, date to November 6, 2012. During the summer of 2012, Aerosmith toured North America and debuted new material from the album, including "Legendary Child" and "Oh Yeah". The album's track list was revised in late August 2012, adding three more tracks, bringing the total to 15 songs. In October 2012, the band also released a reworked version of "Legendary Child" as the "Patriots Anthem" for Pepsi's NFL Anthems project.
In terms of songwriting, Music from Another Dimension! sees Tyler and Perry collaborating as the principal songwriters, with Tyler contributing to 11 tracks and Perry to 7. The album also features songwriting contributions from the band's guitarist Brad Whitford and bassist Tom Hamilton, marking their first credits since Pump (1989). Other notable collaborators include Diane Warren, Desmond Child, Jim Vallance, and Marco Moir. Perry described the album's sound as "dinosaurs eating cars," emphasizing the energetic and raw vibe of the recording process, which involved live, in-the-room excitement.
The album includes a variety of musical styles. Tracks like "Legendary Child", "Lover Alot", and "Oh Yeah" are upbeat rockers, while "What Could Have Been Love" is a ballad. "Luv XXX", described by Tyler as "Beatlesque," features backing vocals from Julian Lennon, and "Freedom Fighter" is a politically charged rocker with Johnny Depp providing backing vocals. The album also features a country-western crossover ballad, "Can't Stop Lovin' You", a duet with country singer Carrie Underwood, and a cover of The Temptations' "Shakey Ground," which features former guitarist Rick Dufay. The album cover, designed by Casey Tebo, draws inspiration from B-movie aesthetics, with one version used for the standard release and another for the deluxe edition.
