Ever since it was announced that Adam Lambert would be fronting Queen on a series of tour dates, fans have been hoping that the newly resurrected rock titans would hit the studio for the first album of new material since the tragic death of Freddie Mercury in 1991. While we’re still waiting for that, music lovers will be treated to the next best thing on Lambert’s upcoming solo record, The Original High. The disc boasts an appearance from Queen’s resident guitar genius Brian May, marking first time that he and the neo-glam rocker have ever worked together in the studio.
These sessions were helmed by Swedish producer Max Martin, a musical megastar in his own right. Despite the massive firepower in the studio, things were kept pretty light and loose. So loose, in fact, that Lambert didn’t bother with formal introductions between Martin and May—leading to an awkward (but hilarious) moment. But everything went to plan in the end, and he assures us that the results “will melt your face off.” Challenge accepted.