Arctic Monkeys storm back with second album

Upstart U.K. rock act Arctic Monkeys has set an April 23 international release date for its second album, "Favorite Worst Nightmare."

The Domino set will be released in North America the following day. The album's first single, "Brianstorm," arrives April 16.

"It's quite a bit heavier in some places -- there's also some really nice songs on there," producer James Ford told Billboard.com of the new album. "Some of the songs maybe (have) more depth to them. (It's) maybe not quite as instant as the first one."

"Favorite Worst Nightmare" is the follow-up to last year's "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not." That album became the fastest-selling debut album in British chart history when it moved 360,000 copies in its first week.

In the U.S., it has sold 294,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The single "I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor" reached No. 7 on Billboard's Modern Rock Chart.

Arctic Monkeys will unveil new material during an April 27 set at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., and have also begun confirming European festival appearances for the summer.