The day after Christmas, Van Halen teased long-suffering fans with the news of a 2012 tour, coupled with new performance footage and a mysterious graphic saying only “2.7.12″ — and ever since, we’ve been trying to figure out what it all means.

Now, thanks to an exclusive update from the Van Halen News Desk, we know a little more about their plans for the upcoming year. If you’ve been waiting to hear new music from Van Halen, it looks like it’s finally time to mark your calendar.

We already knew tickets for the tour would be going on sale Jan. 10, but now we know when to expect an itinerary: dates and cities will be announced Jan. 3, giving you one week to prepare to grab tickets for the band’s stop in your metro area.

As it turns out, Jan. 10 will be a big day all around for VH fans: not only will tickets be going on sale, but the band will also be debuting the first single and video from its upcoming album — its first with original lead singer David Lee Roth since ’1984.’ And when will we finally be able to get our hands on that album? Yep, you guessed it: Feb. 7, 2012.

The VHND also reports that contrary to rumors, ‘The Future’ will not be the title of the album. For now, the band is keeping that last little tidbit under wraps, but as consolation, they’ve released the first in a series of new official photos from a recent shoot at the Roxy in L.A. Looks like Ed and Diamond Dave are having fun, doesn’t it? Here’s hoping that spirit found its way to the recording sessions.

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