Hadouken - M.A.D.

are back and raving as hard as ever, but have they evolved after the decidedly mixed reviews of debut album ‘Music For An Accelerated Culture’? Well, not really, judging by new single ‘M.A.D’.

The track starts with the same grimy synths we all know and love from ‘Liquid Lives’ and ‘That Boy That Girl’, descending into a pounding, beat-laden bass line and keyboard stylings that wouldn’t be out of place on a Prodigy or Chemical Brothers release. Lyrically, however, there is still a lot of room for improvement, with the line “you can bang the drum” repeated to such an extent that it’s not a drum you feel like banging, but your head against the nearest wall.

Whilst musically they have their collective finger somewhere near the pulse, Hadouken need to evolve their lyrics into more than repetition and the mindset of an angry 16-year-old. ‘M.A.D.’ would be great for a house party soundtrack, but only if you want to get your house smashed up by impressionable teenagers.