Kasabian have claimed their sixth UK number one album with The Alchemist’s Euphoria, their first offering since the departure of former frontman Tom Meighan.
The Leicester-born rock group, comprising Sergio Pizzorno, Chris Edwards, Ian Matthews and Tim Carter, have outsold their closest competition 2:1 with their seventh studio LP.
The album is the first to feature lead guitarist and songwriter Pizzorno on lead vocals since Meighan was sacked in 2020.
Meighan left Kasabian after pleading guilty to assaulting his partner Vikki Ager, with his bandmates branding his behaviour as “totally unacceptable”.
With six number one albums, Kasabian pull level with British music legends including Pink Floyd, Muse, Arctic Monkeys, Radiohead, Blur, Paul Weller, The Chemical Brothers and more, Official Charts UK said.
The band previously scored chart-toppers with Empire (2006), West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (2009), Velociraptor (2011), 48:13 (2014) and For Crying Out Loud (2017).
Since forming 25 years ago, Kasabian have traversed indie, Americana, space rock and more, amping each genre up to its most maximalist point.
Their new album looks to dance music for inspiration, the twisted hip hop of DJ Shadow and experimental ambience of Boards of Canada.
Elsewhere in the charts, Pale Waves also enjoyed a new Top 5 entry this week with Unwanted, the group’s third studio album, which landed at Number 4.
The Mancunian indie-rock quartet, made up of Heather Baron-Gracie, Ciara Doran, Hugo Silvani and Charlie Wood, have previously enjoyed success with debut 2018 record My Mind Makes Noises and 2021 LP Who Am I?
The success of Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic Elvis has meant The King’s back catalogue has continued to surge.
His ELV1S – 30 Number 1 Hits collection, which topped the chart upon its release in 2002, has re-entered the Top 10 for the first time since January 2003.
This week marks 45 years since the legendary musician’s death, on August 16 1977.