The monarchs of bellicose raunch-rock are back. Actually, they have been back since 1986, but at their age, you wonder. After spending the first half of the Eighties somewhere in orbit around Jupiter, and the Nineties releasing Get A Grip and Nine Lives, Aerosmith strut into the 21st century with another album that puts their brand of hard-hitting rock back where it belongs - in the middle of your face.

The cover is a voluptuous robot in a similar position that Marilyn Monroe found herself in (The Seven Year Itch), and if the picture extended a little further downward, it would surely show Old Rubberlips peering upward, toothy minx-grin and all. And boy, he has reason to smile, as this thirty-year old band can still cut the mustard.

Steven Tyler is all of fifty-three, but his belligerent screech still reeks of the pumped-up hormones of a pubertal stripling on Beyond Beautiful. The title track has him giving it all the lip he can, and by his own admission, he`s got plenty. Unashamedly screaming `&*@#`in A` before saying they`re going `to bleep it anyway` is just so typical.

And their talent for churning out the wall-of-riffs pop song continues unabated on the new video staple Jaded. With a sound that seems reminiscent of Led Zep, Jaded hums like a bee and sticks like glue. The only ballad on Side A, Fly Away From Here, is harkening to the somewhat pastiche glory of Don`t Wanna Miss A Thing, but when you`ve done it for this long, you can make almost anything work.

This is the first album to be produced by Tyler and Perry themselves, along with Marti Frederiksen and Mark Hudson, who share a lot of the song credits. This quartet obviously rolled the bones and cooked up the bawdy bounce of Trip Hoppin` before going on to the happy, lust-for-the-girl-next-door of Sunshine.

Perry shows up in the lead singer role on Drop Dead Gorgeous, and Tyler`s distinctive, tongue-in-cheek wordplay on Avant Garden and Luv Lies make them sit up and beg for attention. Not the kind of hooks that have you snared first time out, but they just might grow on you.

With characteristic, layered production and heavy string and horn arrangements (Tower of Power shows up on Trip Hoppin`), Just Push Play is Aerosmith at the fine wine stage, still a sweet trip with a lot of punch. The fizz of Toys In The Attic may have gone, but this is one band that`s still churning it out, and having a rocking good time while they`re about it.