This is hands down one of the best debut albums from a British band for quite some time - often an overused statement but let me tell you that this is so accomplished, exciting and all round talented that you can't help but feel a little bit surprised by it all.

Imagine Queens Of The Stone Age were adopted by Nazareth and then fostered out to Soundgarden and that they then had a child of their own....that's how you should see this bastard child of Britain called Zodiac N Black!

The opener, 'Bastinado', just throttles you from the off and will immediately grab you with its QOTSA bass lines - this could easily have been on their 'Rated R' album and you can imagine Josh Homme and his band of merry men playing it at festivals the world over, but no, this is the London crew giving us their all and you'll be singing "release me" for ages after this barn storming opener.

'A Necessary Evil' follows it up and if you think they're going to be a one hit, one trick pony then start re-evaluating them now; you get hints of Pearl Jam, in a jamming state of Vedder - off his tits on wine and that, my Uber rocking buddies, has got to be a good thing. 'Only The Lonely' hints at Soundgarden when they were interpreting Sabbath and yes, it really is that cool. Three songs in and I'm already sat with fingers crossed hoping that they can keep this quality up - I find out that I won't be disappointed.

'The Joke Is On Us' is a rambling, introspective song that owes its feel to the '90s alt. rock world, or maybe it has a '70s drug vibe feel which gets fed through the '90s? Maybe it's an age thing?! 'Better Off Dead' is a meaty song that, again, Soundgarden would be happy with - if Cornell was singing it, you'd be more than happy to think this was their new track, as it is you get vocalist Jad singing for all he's worth and the whole album has a kind of a fuzzy production that I'm certain is deliberate to just add to the whole album. 'Bad Pills' is another example of the power that they can create - a big Audioslave styling with a bass groove to get your funk on too - it just has everything.

Zodiac N Black just seem destined to be a great British band - they don't quite fit into any scene or genre which I think can benefit them immensely. They're heavy as fuck at times yet they're not too doom led to continue forever on that train of thought, they write songs that are instantly catchy yet they're nowhere near being a pop or a sing-a-long band like say, Feeder or Ash. It's classic rock yet modern at the same time. They get hippy and stoned at times yet they're not too blissed out to give Chris Robinson a run for his (hash) money and, put simply, this band have created a bit of genius that deserves to get them noticed.

Every single song on here gives the listener something that your average band just can't get close too. Celebrate the new bands that deserve to be heard. And definitely celebrate that they're British.

www.zodiacnblack.com