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After a five year absence, Eagles of Death Metal have glided into the peripheries of 2015 with their riff-heavy, tongue-in-cheek balls-out rock with that one thing the current musical landscape needs - a bit of fun.
The return of Josh 'Baby Duck' Homme's side-project with Jesse 'Boots Electric' Hughes has been a welcome relief to the intensity which came with Queens of the Stone Age's '...Like Clockwork' - it's comforting to know that Homme still owns that humorous and silly side of him on record.
Showing no signs of sexual decline, Homme's musical Brother, 43-year-old Jesse Hughes, is still as randy as ever. The subject matter of his sexual prowess and encounters are still a major talking point, but revisited topics such as these are what you expect from two buddies meeting up in a bar - like Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon in The Trip, only with slicked back hair, leathers and a motorcycle licence.
Watch our interview with Eagles Of Death Metal below
The trio of opening tracks provides a break-neck speed welcoming back to their bizarre world. One thing which rings through the throbbing synths of opener 'Complexity' is that a poppy undercurrent runs through this release, which doesn't stop flowing for the 11 tracks.
Highlight 'Silverlake (K.S.O.F.M)' sees Hughes take on a mock English accent, he asks operatically "Don't you know who I am?", this vocal twinned with the rock-funk guitar lines seems to be nod towards the Franz Ferdinand aesthetic. Hughes goes on to remind the listener he is "The King of Fuck Mountain" which gives them ownership of the FF approach for its duration.
The pop element of Eagles is worn most prominently on it's sleeve in the closest thing the group have to a ballad: 'I Love You All The Time'. The shoo-wop style backing vocals, French lyrics and Strokes' '12:51' synthesised guitar lines makes up an irresistible concoction which crawls into your head and doesn't leave.
The most intriguing aspect of the tracklist is the cover of Duran Duran's 'Save A Prayer' - the result is surprisingly direct. It sounds incredibly close to the original recording, but with the climax of those 80s drums and synths achieved with a guitar and distortion pedal.
With an album sleeve as hilarious and silly as above (Hughes and Homme's faces covering the breasts of an undressing woman) you can already guess the sort of album you're in for - one that doesn't take itself too seriously, but Eagles prove that silliness still works in rock and roll. 'Zipper Down' owns the listener's eardrums for a thoroughly excellent and entertaining 35 minutes.
