Album Review: Kasabian - Velociraptor!

With Oasis gone and Beady Eye unremarkable in every way, Kasabian were left with the mantle of lad-rock band all to themselves. Yet the same year as Oasis’ acrimonious break-up, Kasabian released Mercury-nominated and critically acclaimed West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, an album that marked the band’s determination to add a different dimension to their music. 

Whilst it wasn’t a complete departure from the lad-rock stylings of their first two albums, West Ryder... was a quality psychedelic rock album that propelled them to festival headliners.

With expectations high following the plaudits showered on West Ryder..., Kasabian have returned with Velociraptor!, the band’s fourth album. In fact, if expectations weren’t already high, they were certainly given an injection by Kasabian’s creative force Sergio Pizzorno, boasting “It’s been 15 or 16 years since the last truly classic album, but I think we’ve done it”. Modesty at its best. 

However, whilst there is nothing wrong with overblown statements such as this one, it is important to back them up. And although Velociraptor! is a confident, and at times, impressive follow-up to West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum, it is by no means a classic.

Kasabian are well known for consistently starting their albums with bang. Just look at the huge ‘Club Foot’ that kicked off their self-titled debut, or the big sing-a-long chorus of ‘Empire’ that began their second album of the same name, and then there was the massive riff of ‘Underdog’ from West Ryder...


‘Let’s Roll Like We Used To’ doesn’t pack the punch of past Kasabian album opener’s. It starts with a gong (yes, a gong), before sounding akin to a soundtrack for a western film. It's undeniably the archetypal grower - one that really comes alive on the chorus - but it doesn’t set the statement of intent for Velociraptor! like ‘Underdog’ did for West Ryder.

‘Days Are Forgotten’ is much more instant than the opener, although like the first song it has a distinctive western vibe about it, with the ‘ahhhhhh, aahhhheee, ahhhh’ sounding like a tribute to a Clint Eastwood film. The song sets the precedent for a record that is clearly indebted to 60s rock’n’roll, with the steady drum beat and bass combo layered over a ferocious, raw and dirty riff. Yet nowhere is the 60s influence more pronounced than on ‘La Fee Verte’. Not only does it directly reference a Beatles song, “I see Lucy in the sky / telling me I’m high”, but it could easily be mistaken it as one of the legendary foursome’s songs. The song revolves around a simplistic, stomping drum beat and Serge’s strained vocals, before braking into an all too forgettable chorus.

‘Velociraptor!’ is a return to the fast, furious, adrenaline-filled Kasabian tunes that established them as one of the best British bands, the songs that made West Ryder... such an instant hit. Tom Meighan returns on lead vocals with Serge providing backing vocals, as the lyrics comically explain a day in the life of a velociraptor: “Velociraptor! He gona find ya / he gona kill ya / he gona eat ya.” 

There are some surprises during the album, though. ‘Goodbye Kiss’ is unfamiliar territory for Kasabian, much more laid back and almost serene, with a violin complementing the steady drum beat and gently strummed guitar. ‘Acid Turkish Bath (Shelter From The Storm)’ - which is hardly the snappiest song title - is also a departure from previous Kasabian material. It is reminiscent of Led Zeppelin’s ‘Kashmir’ in both sound and scale, kicking off with an epic strings section which subsequently prefigures each chorus. It's ambitious, it’s big and it’s a standout moment from an album that whilst consistent, suffers in comparison with the hit-filled West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum. It is hard to see many songs on Velociraptor! standing up to the big stages that have become home to Kasabian. This is evident on songs such as ‘I Hear Voices’, a track that sounds more like Hot Chip’s electronic stylings than anything Kasabian have ever done.

However, whilst Velociraptor! may not reach the heights of the band’s previous offering, it does finish with aplomb. ‘Re-Wired’ and ‘Man Of Simple Pleasures’ are both classic Kasabian tunes, the former is a straightforward rock’n’roll number destined to be a single and the latter is a slow-burner that has an infectious chorus. ‘Switchblade Smiles’ is a raucous, in-your-face affair that would have been more suited as the opener, instead it gets left behind towards the conclusion of the record. 

There is certainly a sense throughout that Serge and Co. are attempting to break new ground and try new things - shown once again on closing song ‘Neon Noon’, a spacey, synth-layered beauty - yet the album peaks when Kasabian are uncompromisingly themselves. Velociraptor! is undoubtedly a solid follow-up to their hugely impressive third album, but it is one that will consolidate their position, rather than propel them further forward. 


4/5