Kasabian - The Alchemist’s Euphoria

It would come as no surprise to see that Kasabian are heading for a complete reset on seventh studio album ‘The Alchemist’s Euphoria’. “I was down for the count needing healing / All the cuts in my heart they were bleeding,” pines a sizzling Sergio Pizzorno on the euphoric rave-tinged opener ‘Alchemist’. There was always going to be some emotional fallout following the band’s decision to fire former frontman Tom Meighan in 2020, but this is an open and devastating ballad of a kind we haven’t heard from the band since their formative years. The record sees a large shift away from the stadium-baiting rowdiness towards something overall more subtle and spiritual. The likes of ‘Scriptvre’ ensures their trademark swagger remains though, clattering between pulsating rap and swaying synthy orchestral tones. Elsewhere Serge sounds like a chaos-rousing Jack White on the glitchy rave stomper ‘Rocket Fuel’. It’s thrilling stuff but most importantly, with him solely steering the ship, it’s the most authentic this band have sounded in a long time - once again, it feels like they’re capable of going anywhere they want.