The more the years go by, the more Mark Lanegan presses his foot down on the accelerator. Two years after Gargoyle, the ex-singer from Screaming Trees, duettist with Isobel Campbell and occasional guitar player for Queens Of The Stone Age has released an eleventh album. In line with the rest of his works since start of the 2000s, it’s a record on which Lanegan refines his mix of contemporary grunge, electro rock, austere blues, stoner rock, psychedelic 2.0 and shamanic ballads. Though what makes Somebody Knocking stand out from its predecessors are the nods towards Joy Division and New Order. The influence of these legendary Mancunians (who he has always openly worshipped) is palpable on tracks like Name and Number and Penthouse High. We also find flavours of 80s electro rock (Depeche Mode and The Cure sometimes spring to mind) which are integrated into this huge mass of sombre guitars, messianic synths and marching rhythm boxes. © Max Dembo/Qobuz