Sisters Ann and Nancy Wilson--a.k.a. Heart [ tickets ]--are finishing up their first new album in almost a decade, and will hit the road this summer to back the new set.

"Nancy and I are hard at work on the new studio CD, which will be out Spring 2003," singer Ann Wilson wrote in a recent message posted at the group's website. "The music is very rawkin', but with a couple of beautiful, aching ballads too (we could never forget them!)."

Guitarist Nancy is producing the new album, for which a release date has not been set. After taking a short break, the sisters returned to the studio on Monday (3/10) to finish up the set.

The as-yet-untitled album follows last November's "The Essential Heart," a two-disc set featuring digitally remastered versions of Heart's slew of '70s- and '80s-era hits, such as "Crazy On You," "Barracuda," "Magic Man," "What About Love," "Never" and "These Dreams." A complete track list and streaming samples from the album are posted at Sony's Legacy Recording website.

Also in the offing is the April 29 release of "Heart - Alive in Seattle," a DVD version of the group's 2002 Pay Per View concert.

"It's fresh from the Summer of Love tour," Ann Wilson said, "and shows the guys who will be playing on the new Heart studio CD, as well as some of the new songs."