MUCH like their Mancunian idols Oasis, Kasabian have long been willing to inform anybody within earshot of their status as the country's finest band.

But, while the Gallaghers could point to Definitely Maybe as evidence, Mssrs Meighan and Pizzorno could only boast a patchy debut that too often flattered to deceive.

However, the release of Empire looks set to give their claims some credence.

Taking another lesson from Noel Gallagher's school of song-writing it is unashamedly plagiaristic: re-crafting the glam rock of 70s icons Slade and T-Rex on Shoot the Runner, the Eastern appreciation of George Harrison on Sun/Rise/Light/Flies and aping the Chemical Brothers on Apnoea.

Most encouragingly this album is a far less disjointed affair than its predecessor.

And if the juggernaut of a title track with its malevolent swirling riff isn't enough to restore your faith in swaggering rock then you might want to check you still have a pulse.