You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

When we last spoke to Nick Beggs (Steve Hackett, Steven Wilson) about The Mute Gods in 2016 after the release of his band’s debut album, Do Nothing Till You Hear From Me, he was enraged by the world he saw caving in. Twelve months later and he’s practically apoplectic, if almost resigned to the fate of mankind.

The latest Mute Gods album matches that rage. A tougher proposition than the first, Tardigrades, sadly, was built for these times. Admittedly, for an album that takes its starting point as a series of dissertations on religion, politics, media and the environment, it has a wonderful lightness of touch.

There’s shade and understatement, even at the black heart of the title track or the lilting, quietly furious Window Onto The Sun, which bears repeated, if panicked, listening. Much like this album.

Philip Wilding is a novelist, journalist, scriptwriter, biographer and radio producer. As a young journalist he criss-crossed most of the United States with bands like Motley Crue, Kiss and Poison (think the Almost Famous movie but with more hairspray). More latterly, he’s sat down to chat with bands like the slightly more erudite Manic Street Preachers, Afghan Whigs, Rush and Marillion.