Brendan Crabb, Journalist

You know exactly what it sounds like, decades-old, bluesy staples included, but fans pay for that reliability.

“I’ve had a bloody blast (Down Under) the last couple times... My best memory was going to see my mate Bon Scott in Perth, leaving him some Stone’s ginger wine, couple of ciggies and then goin’ for fish‘n’chips.”

"It’s not like we’re tired. I know what you mean; some bands get up there and you can just tell they’re doing it for the money. That’s not what we’re doing; we’re doing it because we love the music and we love playing these songs."

"We played some shows over the summer and people are really stunned. It’s just a stronger machine than ever."

"All I know is no one will ever hear the album as it was done and recorded. I’ve actually had heaps of phone calls from friends going, ‘Dude, you have to make me a copy’."

This isn’t the dramatic progression White Pony was at the time, but cements the Californians’ place as one of hard rock’s most forward-thinking acts.

"We’re doing a few new songs, then some old stuff here and there. It’s tough for us; we have so much music now and our songs are very long."

King Animal is a likeable beast.