Motley Crue Officially Recording in Studio With Producer Bob Rock

Motley Crue are officially in the recording studio with longtime producer Bob Rock, as well as guitarist John 5, who stepped into the role after it was announced late last year that veteran axeman Mick Mars had stepped down from touring duties.

It wasn't even a week ago that bassist Nikki Sixx disclosed that he and John 5 were writing "random" riffs and it now appears there's a bit more intent behind those joint efforts as multiple members of Crue have shared photos from their latest recording sessions.

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If new material is eventually released, it wouldn't be the first time fans will have heard Motley Crue songs co-written by John 5 as the former Rob Zombie guitarist contributed to all of the three original songs that appear on The Dirt biopic soundtrack.

In other words, this precedent has already been established.

Still, the absence of Mars may come as a surprise, despite the recent lawsuit he filed against the band, disputing his status as a member as well as potential money owed to him in various capacities.

In October, Mars issued a statement announcing his resignation as a touring member of Motley Crue, but asserted that he "will continue as a member of the band, but can no longer handle the rigors of the road. A.S. is an extremely painful and crippling degenerative disease, which affects the spine."

It does not appear that he is in the plans for this recording sessions, however.

As seen further down the page, Sixx, John 5 and drummer Tommy Lee posted photos from the studio, each confirming that Bob Rock will oversee production.

Meanwhile, Motley Crue's ongoing world tour will pick back up on May 22 and you can see all upcoming dates at this location. For tickets, head here.