Kasabian released their highly anticipated fourth album ‘Velociraptor!’ on September 19th through Columbia. ‘Velociraptor!’ is a primordial beast of a record that confirms the band’s place at the top table of modern day rock’n’roll legends. Written and produced by Serge Pizzorno, ‘Velociraptor!’ was recorded in Leicester and mixed in San Francisco. We’ve already had a taster of what to expect in the form of colossal synth track ‘Switchblade Smiles’, a tune that has been lauded by the NME as “a rumbling, black cloud of techno intensity, which might well be their best”. Debut single ‘Days Are Forgotten’, released September 11th, sees a cautionary shuffle and a monstrous riff proceeded by Tom’s incendiary vocals and some haunting polyphonic screams. ‘Let’s Roll Just Like We Used To’ encapsulates the heady spirit of festival season, as Tom sings “Lets roll just like we used to, in fields when we were young, we had it all,” to a backdrop of 60’s psych. Other notable album highlights include the electrifying stadium stomper ‘Re-Wired’, pared down, tambourine heavy rock’n’roll lullaby ‘Goodbye Kiss’ and the frank lyrical acclamation, ‘Man Of Simple Pleasures’. Inspiration for the new album arrived late one night at Serge’s new home, deep in the Leicestershire countryside. Every night after he went to bed, a mysterious presence would arrive through his studio window and help him out. “I know, it sounds mental,” he laughs. “I’d be at home being a dad looking after (baby son) Ennio, and then I’d go into the studio and press play and hear all this amazing music. I wouldn’t remember any of it. I wasn’t getting much sleep and I had the idea it was this Mexican spirit coming down from somewhere and helping me out.” After spending an intense few weeks in San Francisco, the final piece in the jigsaw came with the addition of strings at British Grove Studios in London. “The aim was to make a modern classic,” says Serge in conclusion. “One that people can take to their hearts and sing along to. It’s been fifteen or sixteen years since the last truly classic album, but I think we’ve done it.” Kasabian are guitarist Sergio Pizzorno, singer Tom Meighan, bassist Chris Edwards and drummer Ian Matthews.