A Judge No More: Steven Tyler Chooses Aerosmith Over 'American Idol'

When Fox's American Idol returns to TV screens in early 2013, one very familiar face will be missing. Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler, an Idol judge for the past two seasons, has announced that his Idol days are over.

The reason? It's time to "kick some serious ass" with Aerosmith.

“After some long ... hard ... thoughts, I’ve decided it’s time for me to let go of my mistress American Idol before she boils my rabbit,” Tyler said in an official statement. “I strayed from my first love, Aerosmith, and I’m back -- but instead of begging on my hands and knees, I got two fists in the air and I’m kicking the door open with my band.

"The next few years are going to be dedicated to kicking some serious ass -- the ultimate in auditory takeover. On November 6, we are unleashing our new album, Music from Another Dimension, on the Earth, Moon, Mars and way beyond the stars.

"Idol was over-the-top fun, and I loved every minute of it. Now it’s time to bring rock back.”

While Idol's ratings were sliding during the show's latest season, Aerosmith were hard at work on their 15th studio album. Earlier this week, the band debuted their first new music video in more than eight years. Scroll down to check out the official video for "Legendary Child."

"This record is different from the recent past, say the last 20 years, where everybody is getting in the studio and throwing down their songs," Joe Perry recently told Billboard.com. "This record is a lot more band-written stuff than there has been in the recent past."

Aerosmith are on the road with Cheap Trick as part of their Global Warming 2012 tour.