Late last year, in a message posted on his official site, Bruce Springsteen [article id="1674751"]let fans know[/article] that he and the E Street Band were putting the finishing touches on a new album -- their first since the death of iconic sax man Clarence Clemons -- and concluded by promising "we'll get back to you real soon."

Well, now he has. On Thursday (January 19), Springsteen announced a brand-new album, Wrecking Ball, and premiered the first single, "We Take Care of Our Own," over on his site. The album, due March 5, was produced by Ron Aniello and Springsteen, features 11 tracks, and, according to longtime manager Jon Landau, finds the Boss tackling decidedly of-the-moment issues.

"Bruce has dug down as deep as he can to come up with this vision of modern life," Landau said in a statement. "The lyrics tell a story you can't hear anywhere else, and the music is his most innovative of recent years ... The writing is some of the best of his career."

According to several reports, Wrecking Ball also boasts cameos from Rage Against the Machine guitarist (and fellow social activist) Tom Morello and former Pearl Jam drummer Matt Chamberlain, and is Springsteen's "angriest album," dealing with topics like economic injustice. It also reportedly features "unexpected textures -- loops, electronic percussion ... influences and rhythms from hip-hop to Irish folk."

Springsteen and the E Street Band will promote the album with an extensive tour, but only European dates have been announced so far.

The track list for Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball:

» "We Take Care of Our Own"

» "Easy Money"

» "Shackled and Drawn"

» "Jack of All Trades"

» "Death to My Hometown"

» "This Depression"

» "Wrecking Ball"

» "You've Got It"

» "Rocky Ground"

» "Land of Hope and Dreams"

» "We Are Alive"