There are bands that soundtrack their times and then there are bands that seem to actively argue with them. For well over a decade now, Sleaford Mods have done the latter better than just about anyone. Jason Williamson’s furious, sharp-tongued observations over Andrew Fearn’s skeletal beats have always felt like dispatches from the eye of the storm.
And in 2026, confusion still reigns. That’s the backdrop to “The Demise of Planet X.” If the title sounds apocalyptic, that’s because it is — although with Sleaford Mods the end of the world rarely arrives with a bang. It’s more like a grim shrug and another pint.
“The Good Life” kicks things off with Williamson making it clear straight away: he’s not punching down. That’s always been key to the Mods’ worldview. With Big Special involved and even a mention of Jasper Carrott, the whole thing feels steeped in that peculiar British mix of humour, irritation and bewilderment. It’s a snapshot of 2026 where nobody quite knows what’s going on but everyone seems annoyed about it anyway.
“Double Diamond” brings a surprise — electric guitar creeping into the picture. It eventually slows into something more reflective, even allowing some strings to seep in around the edges. It’s a reminder that this band’s sound, once brutally minimal, isn’t afraid to stretch a little.
“Elitist G.O.A.T.” introduces Aldous Harding, whose presence adds a genuinely beautiful melodic element. It raises an interesting question: are Sleaford Mods smoothing the rough edges a little? Maybe. But the tension between melody and Williamson’s spiky delivery makes it fascinating rather than safe.
If you’re worrying the old snarl has disappeared, “Megaton” quickly shuts that down. This one feels much closer to classic Sleaford Mods — abrasive, restless, and ready to toss the parachute out of the plane.
“No Touch” continues the thread of adding female melody, which gives the song an oddly hypnotic feel. It’s a texture the band have flirted with before but here it feels more deliberate.
“Bad Santa” is vintage Williamson — surreal, biting and impossible to fully decode. God knows what’s in Jason’s sack, but whatever it is, it’s not festive cheer.
The title track, “The Demise of Planet X,” is perhaps the philosophical centre of the record. The imagery is grotesque and confrontational — maggots, decay — but the attitude is pure Mods: “fuck that.” It’s not nihilism exactly, more a blunt refusal to play nice with a world they clearly don’t trust.
“Don Draper” arrives with a slightly different feel again, suggesting this album is more sonically varied than many of their earlier efforts. The mood shifts but the voice remains unmistakably Williamson’s.
“Gina Was” brings the punk sneer back to the fore, all spit and bile.
“Shoving the Images” is one of the more unsettling moments on the record — a song that feels claustrophobic and uneasy, like scrolling through bad news you can’t look away from.
“Flood the Zone” taps into the way hate can spread like wildfire, its mood reflecting a society that often feels scared stiff of itself.
“Kill List” sees Snowy step in with a rap that leans into the album’s darker themes — survival of the fittest in a world that increasingly feels stacked against the many.
Finally, “The Unwrap” closes things on the more mellifluous end of the spectrum. But even here the message feels unmistakably modern: buy stuff now, keep the wheels turning, and maybe don’t think too hard about where the planet’s heading.
If earlier Sleaford Mods records felt like someone shouting through a broken megaphone in the middle of a riot, “The Demise of Planet X” sometimes feels like the same voice standing back and surveying the wreckage.
The anger is still there. The wit is still razor sharp. But there’s also a sense of experimentation — more melody, more texture, more willingness to stretch the formula.
The world might be falling apart. But if it is, Sleaford Mods are still providing one of the most honest running commentaries around.
RATING: 8/10
