Sometimes you need to look back in order to move forward. While have had increasing chart success -- 2014's hit number five on the U.K. charts and number 22 in the U.S. -- the band felt a lack of creative control over their recordings. To that end, they left and signed to , run by (the man who signed them to in the first place). Earlier albums were always imbalanced: songwriting was sometimes sacrificed in an attempt to replicate the band's live sound; at other times, it was the reverse. is a self-produced, back-to-the-roots affair (with participation from a host of local players and singers). Opener "The Way of the Future" walks the line between gnarly, riff-tastic hard rock and heavy metal. Frontman/guitarist 's rant against greedy politicians is fueled by his and ' twin-guitar attack, grooving tom-tom, kickdrum fills from , and a fuzzed-out, -esque bassline from . The two proceeding tracks, "In Our Dreams" and "Shakin' My Cage," are equally bone-crunching. The gears shift on "Soul Machine." It blends greasy Southern-fried funk and adrenalin-fueled blues-rock, with backed by -style vocalists and . can still write killer hooks, too: "Long Ride" is a power ballad in classic '70s rock fashion, complete with a rousing anthemic chorus and melodic guitar fills by . The band updates 's psychedelic soul classic "War" with fat baritone saxophone, brass, dirty, in-the-red distorted guitars, and a large backing chorus. 's vocal is filled with righteous indignation as the band swells toward volcanic eruption. The vintage Southern rock vibe on "Cheaper to Drink Alone" is classic , but it's steeped in such a catchy melody, it will likely be covered by harder, edgier contemporary country acts. ' guitar break is one of his meatiest on record. "Hangman" is steeped in squalling, hard-riffing blues with a hooky chorus, while "Rescue Me," despite its brief gospelized intro, is the meanest, leanest thing on the set. The groove-centric intro of "Feelin' Fuzzy" gives way to a funky backbeat with guitars on stun. The latter album track "Darkest Secret" helps close the album circle with off-the-rails metallic hard rock (complete with a -style breakdown), though the chorus is drenched in Southern groove. marks the first time have balanced all of their writing strengths with their concert presence. The album is a grower. After a listen or two, 's back-to-the-cradle approach proves that track for track, is not only more consistent, but more satisfying than previous albums. ~ Thom Jurek