Primal Scream - XTRMNTR

There was a theory doing the rounds in the late Nineties that Primal Scream always released one good album (Sonic Flower Groove, Screamadelica, Vanishing Point) followed by one shit album (all the ones in between). This theory was smashed with the release of XTRMNTR in 2000 as they followed Vanishing Point with another stormer. It may have been the influence of Kevin Shields’ guitar keeping Bobby Gillespie from his worst Rolling Stones fascinations but what was released was political, heavy and commercially successful. Some would argue they haven’t come close to matching it since. (Pete Hurst)