Mark Lanegan is a survivor. Having come through the drug-fuelled madness of life with Seattle grunge merchants Screaming Trees, he's now on to his sixth solo album - and still producing as many spine-tingling vocal performances as ever. This time around he's assembled a veritable supergroup, with members of Guns'n'Roses, Queens of the Stone Age and Afghan Whigs all dropping by the studio to lend a hand. Most importantly, though, Lanegan's gravely voice means he could sing the telephone directory and make it sound dark and brooding - at times here, you could swear you're listening to an even more debauched Tom Waits or Johnny Cash. This life-on-the-edge record isn't for the faint-hearted and it might well have a few neighbours knocking on the wall if you play it at the right volume. But it's a thrilling reminder of just what a vital talent Lanegan still is.
