Damn this band. I’m going to have to abandon one of my favourite clichés. See, it’s almost gospel that rock bands around now aren’t a patch on those plying their trade when we were teenagers. My step-father did it with the Rolling Stones and the Doors. Doubtless a slightly older generation's parents said "Pah! Call that rock – check out this Chuck Berry lick." So when I’m subjected to the posturing lightweight drivel that passes for hard rock these days it is often tempting to pull out something by Soundgarden or maybe Fu Manchu, nod sagely and intone, "They don’t make them like this anymore." Except it seems they do. With tracks like ‘Pleasure to Burn’, ‘Seven Years to Saturn’ and ‘The Judge’ this is a glorious retreat to the way rock used be – massive riffs; extended solos; throaty vocals; lyrics like “wounded, bleeding, helpless – it’s all a game”. Hell, there’s even a bat on the album sleeve. It just doesn’t get more rock than this people. I just hope 40-odd years from now when someone says to their sullen child "Call that rock – check this ou"’ they pull out 'II' rather than some tripe by Evanescence. The fate of future generations is in your hands – please think of the children.