Dark rock legends The Cure to release 1st studio album in 16 years

LONDON, United Kingdom — Legendary dark rock band The Cure will release their first studio album in 16 years on Friday, sparking excitement among their legions of fans and early critical praise.

The 14th studio album from the post-punk British innovators, entitled "Songs Of A Lost World," will be released on vinyl, CD and cassette as well as on streaming platforms.

The Cure — whose 65-year-old frontman Robert Smith is famous for his innovative approach to music as well as on-stage stamina — has transformed itself throughout its prolific decades-spanning career.

Led by Smith's plaintive, wailing voice and rich guitar textures, the band helped shape Goth rock with albums, including 1982's "Pornography," which was full of suicidal imagery.

It has since had hits with much cheerier material, including "Friday I'm in Love."

The band has been on tours but not released a new studio album since 2008's "4:13 Dream."

In a recent interview ahead of Friday's new release, Smith said he had remained "flexible" while crafting the record, and felt it was an "engaging piece of work."

"It's sequenced in such a way that it takes you somewhere," he said in the interview, released on the band's YouTube page.

"It's like 50 minutes long and you end up somewhere different than when you started out. And hopefully people will react to it."

Smith added it was "a weird moment, when suddenly people start listening to what you've been doing" and that he was eagerly awaiting its reception.

"You don't bother going through all of this and making an album unless you want people to really like it," he noted, adding he felt it had "turned out really well."

Fans who have heard the record took to social media to sing its praises.

Britain's The Guardian gave it four out of five stars, saying The Cure were "on reliably melancholy form — with the exception of one out-and-out pop banger."

Rolling Stone magazine also scored it four out of five, calling it the band's best album since 1989's "Disintegration."

RELATED:  The Cure releases first new song 'Alone' in 16 years