Six years after finding themselves , arrive at their third act with a fresh sense of direction and a renewed appetite for experimentation.
‘Act III’ draws deep from Kasabian’s back catalogue without getting stuck in it, retaining the familiar while allowing the band to explore some new territory. As the third act following and , it brings the curtain down on what Serge Pizzorno calls “a bloody opera” – six years that have ultimately led to this record.
The band’s ninth studio album has the distorted basslines, huge riffs and trademark swagger you’d expect, but also makes room for psychedelic textures and influences that take them somewhere less familiar. The tracklisting comes stamped ‘Based on true events’, a fitting disclaimer for an album drawn from passing moments, personal experiences and the people woven into its songs.
‘Act III’ isn’t an album to dip in and out of, but a journey best experienced from beginning to end, its interludes, instrumental detours and unexpected transitions as integral to the experience as the songs themselves.
Such is the case with ‘mind palace 2m7’, a dark, unsettling ambient interlude that could easily feel incidental on its own, yet in the context of the album it takes on a different significance, shifting the mood and ushering in what follows.
Across 10 tracks and three interludes, ‘Act III’ moves between guitar-led rock, psychedelia, dance, electronics and hip-hop, held together by Serge’s hazy vocals and instinct for a big hook.
‘Superpowers’ takes Kasabian somewhere less familiar, swapping some of their usual rock heft for some serious swagger, slick synths and an R&B pulse. Inspired in part by Serge’s teenage discovery of Snoop Dogg, it’s the kind of left turn that shows just how far Kasabian are still willing to push themselves.
There’s a darker, more dance-driven side to the album on ‘Nothing Better Than This’, built around a deep bassline, pulsing electronics and a slightly gothic edge. It has a real sense of movement, the sort of track that feels as though it could carry a festival crowd with it.
Elsewhere, ‘Silver Apple Eyes’ slips into a more seductive, late-night groove, starting with a pulsing disco rhythm before building into something more expansive and hypnotic.
Written in ten minutes, takes that nagging suspicion that you don’t belong and turns it into rocket fuel. It captures the pre-stage moment when self-doubt creeps in, then flips it into something euphoric, immediate and defiant, making a case for stepping up rather than backing away.
Ultimately, ‘Act III’ brings together the different sides of Kasabian, drawing on everything that has made them what they are while still leaving room for something new and vital. The distorted basslines, huge riffs, swagger and psychedelic edge of their early work are all present, alongside the new influences and experimentation that have kept the band moving forward.
8/10