Feeder are thirty years old, but still rocking it like it's 2000 - go and pinch yourself, you heard right.
The band follow up 2022's 'Torpedo' with a monster double album: the final part of their trilogy. It's an album that needs time and investment, but it's worth getting stuck in.
This two-parter is packed with rocking radio anthems, alongside album-orientated tracks that will never make the airwaves but could easily become fan favourites. Tracks like the deliciously riffy 'Sleeping Dogs Lie' and 'AI Man' all deal with fear of alienation, technology, politics, mental health and the fate of humanity are all recurring themes in the album.
The doom-style guitars and grungy percussion, intertwined with otherworldly electronic sounds play into these themes even more. This is Feeder Redux: older, wiser, more self and world-aware, more mindful and the music they play shows this evolution. 'The Knock' sums this up, in the journey of life and how to ride the wave.
The songs aren't all doom and gloom in terms of tone, the band offers moments of light to escape the mad world. The stadium-worthy 'Soldier of Love' is an uplifting anthem for keeping your head in this crazy world. On the flip side 'Submarine' continues this theme to 'get away from the rat race'.
The 'Black' disc is a rock with a dash of retro pop as tracks like 'ELF' have a heady dose of 00s nostalgia- even if they do have the vibe of a heavyweight Coldplay to them. 'Hey You' and 'Playing With Fire' opts for a more aggressive tone that runs through the album. While the 'Red' side takes things down a notch but is still packed with Feeder's alt-rock exuberance. album closer 'Ghosts on Parade' is a particular highlight
Despite releasing a double album, there's no great deviation from the Feeder sound we know and love, it may be a little more introspective, but it's also an epic listen.