Benny Doyle, Journalist

"I think for the most part people are on board with it because at the end of the day it is a part of the bigger picture, and any neglect to see that to me is ignorance."

"The first two records it was like we were making it for other people, and the Black Record was the first record we were making for ourselves, and we’ve continued to do that since then."

The end result is a hypnotising, different record, but one that’s sometimes just a little too lethargic.

"It’s not like when we started the band we dreamed of playing arenas, it’s just something that’s happened."

"The songs [are] very upbeat and immediate, so the transition from the studio to the stage for this record has probably been easier than any other record we’ve worked on – it’s in the spirit it was recorded in as a band."

The band have raised their game across the board: breakdowns add to songs rather than interrupt them, textures and layers don’t come from clichés, while the scream/clean vocal balance is on the money throughout.

The playing group that the star has surrounded himself with – a unit with the tight talents of a Memphis house band – clearly gives Stone the confidence to do as he pleases under lights.

"It’s a little terrifying throwing new material out but it’s a good way to gauge what fits and what doesn’t."

“We just thought why not, we really don’t have anything to lose."

“Every time I write a song I just try and make it better than the last song I wrote”

Hell, even the skits are funny – crazy, we know.