Kasabian – Act III

Six years after the departure of Tom Meighan, Kasabian finally seems to have stopped living with its ghost. With The Alchemist’s Euphoria (2022) and then Happenings (2024), the band has gradually learned to operate differently, while Sergio Pizzorno tamed the role of frontman. ACT III was originally slated for July before being pushed back to September 4 to be further refined. Such an extra delay is not inconsequential: after years of rebuilding, Kasabian seems intent on delivering an album that definitively marks this new identity.

The context has changed. The British rock scene of which Kasabian was one of its emblematic figures in the 2000s no longer holds the same place, and the constant comparison with the Meighan era is finally starting to lose its grip. ACT III is therefore not really a comeback record. It is more the story of a band trying to move forward without constantly having to justify the direction it is taking.

Sergio Finally Takes the Mic

The main change is now nearly obvious: Sergio Pizzorno no longer seeks to be Tom Meighan. Where the early post-2020 albums could still feel like a balance to strike, his voice and personality now occupy all the space they demand.

“SOULMATE” is a perfect illustration. Its spoken word, its atmospheric chorus and its crowd-pleasing potential carry everything you’d expect from a British rock track capable of uniting a crowd, but the delivery by Pizzorno gives it a distinct identity. The same can be said of “Hippie Sunshine,” driven by backing vocals that rise gradually: Kasabian no longer tries to recreate its old formula, it adapts it to the one who now carries it.

This assertion of ownership finds its most interesting expression in “GREAT PRETENDER”. Musically close to a pop-rock ballad, the track might appear more conventional, but something truly resonates in the voice and performance. And its context lends it a special resonance: Pizzorno has often spoken of the impostor feeling he experienced when he became the lead singer of a band that had already reached the peaks. Here, that experience seems finally transformed into artistic material rather than a mere biographical episode.

A Formula That Remains Effective

However, it would be an exaggeration to present ACT III as a revolution. Kasabian remains Kasabian, with that ability to blend guitars, groove and electronic textures. “NOTHING BETTER THAN THIS” illustrates this with its dancing rhythm and synth ribbons, while “SILVER APPLE EYES” pushes the groove further toward disco-inflected tones. These are coherent choices for a band that has always maintained a special relationship with the dancefloor.

The problem is that this efficiency can also turn into a limitation. “SUPERPOWERS” unfurls a meticulously crafted construction, but without major surprises or genuine risk-taking. And with only 32 minutes for ten tracks and three interludes, some songs sometimes feel like they are merely sketching an idea before moving on to the next.

These instrumental pauses contribute to the three-act structure hinted at by the album’s title. They bring an almost cinematic dimension and disrupt the linear flow, but their presence also leaves a peculiar impression: why three interludes for an album that is already so short? The intention is perceptible, though not always essential.

Some Real Reasons to Stay

Fortunately, ACT III gains depth when it steps away from its most obvious mechanics. “THE GURU AND THE CRYPTO TIME MACHINE” is thus one of the record’s peaks. Piano, mystery, inquiry and a strong instrumental build: Kasabian takes the time to establish an atmosphere rather than chase the chorus.

“GLIDE” goes even further in this direction. Heavily piano-led and melancholic, the track shows Sergio Pizzorno particularly at ease when he sheds the conqueror-frontman posture. A more fragile facet that enriches an album otherwise very focused on movement and live performance.

It is precisely on stage that “HYPER RISING” should truly come into its own. Shifting rhythms, breaks, an immediate chorus: the track contains the components of modern British rock capable of provoking a crowd. As for “SAY YOU (CLOSER),” it opts to close the record softly, with a jazzy and gospel tint that avoids the traditional explosive finale.

That said, one would have liked more of this material. ACT III is short, sometimes very effective, often elegant, and it contains a few real successes. But after a postponement to refine it, one could have hoped for a denser record and, above all, a bit more rock. Kasabian now seems to have definitively accepted that it is no longer the Tom Meighan era of the group, and that is perhaps the best news of this album. Now the question remains: how far will Sergio Pizzorno push this new freedom?

ACT III does not resurrect Kasabian’s glory years: it does not really need to. It rather confirms the existence of a band that has found its new balance, even if it has not yet found the album that would fully justify this third life.

The Kasabian – ACT III article first appeared on RockUrLife – a rock, metal, alternative, pop, punk, indie webzine.