Story highlights AC/DC says drummer Phil Rudd's arrest won't affect new album

Rudd is also charged with drug possession, threatening to kill

The 60-year-old New Zealand resident entered no plea and has been bailed, say reports

The group is to release a new album in December, its website says

Phil Rudd, the drummer for legendary hard rock band AC/DC, has been charged with attempting to have two men killed.

The 60-year-old appeared in a New Zealand court Thursday afternoon facing a count of attempting to procure the murder of two men, said Bay of Plenty Police District representative Kim Perks.

He was also charged with threatening to kill, possession of methamphetamine and possession of cannabis, Perks said.

The names of the men he allegedly wanted killed and the name of the alleged potential hit man are suppressed, CNN affiliate TVNZ reported

Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC AC/DC has been one of the hardest-rocking -- and longest-lasting -- bands on the scene. The group formed in 1973 in Sydney, Australia. Here's a look back at the rockers through the years: Hide Caption 1 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC The band hangs out with their manager Michael Browning, right, in 1976. Hide Caption 2 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC Angus Young sits on Bon Scott's shoulders while performing at the Town Hall in St. Albans, England, in 1976. Young is known for performing in a schoolboy uniform. Hide Caption 3 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC AC/DC performs at the Kursaal Ballroom in England in 1977. Hide Caption 4 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC Left to right: Phillip Rudd, Angus Young, Mark Evans, Malcolm Young and Bon Scott pose for a photo in 1977. Scott, who was the lead singer of the band in the '70s, died in 1980. Hide Caption 5 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC Angus Young performs in Chicago in 1979. Hide Caption 6 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC Devoted fans wait in the cold and snow to buy tickets for AC/DC's Denver show in 1982. Hide Caption 7 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC The band poses for a photo at a bar in Rhode Island in 1985. Hide Caption 8 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC AC/DC performs at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York, in 1986. Hide Caption 9 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC Brian Johnson and Angus Young perform in Leiden, Netherlands, in 1991. Johnson took over as lead singer and sang on AC/DC's biggest hits, including "Back in Black" and "You Shook Me All Night Long." Hide Caption 10 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC The "Hells Bells" bell is seen on stage at an AC/DC concert in 2000. Hide Caption 11 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, center, poses with AC/DC at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony in 2003. Hide Caption 12 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC The band shoots the video for their song "Rock 'n' Roll Train" in London in 2008. The group's 2008 album "Black Ice" was the second-biggest album of the year, with 6 million sold. Hide Caption 13 of 14 Photos: Aussie rock legends AC/DC Angus Young performs with the band onstage in Melbourne in 2010. Hide Caption 14 of 14

Rudd entered no plea to the charges at the Tauranga District Court, and was bailed until November 27, local media reported.

Police searched Rudd's waterfront home in Tauranga on Thursday morning, TVNZ reported.

The Australian-born drummer moved to New Zealand in 1983, after being sacked by the group. He rejoined the band years later.

The band's latest album, "Rock or Bust," is scheduled for release December 2.

In a statement Thursday, the band said Rudd's absence wouldn't affect the album's release or a tour scheduled for next year.

"We've only become aware of Phil's arrest as the news was breaking," the statement said. "We have no further comment."