The redemption of The Darkness is a story with more plot twists than a whole fortnight of Hollyoaks. There was a moment in time in the far-off noughties when the Hawkins brothers' juggernaut was unstoppable. They headlined Leeds and Reading, won multiple Brits and were ubiquitously everywhere. But then they crashed and burned most spectacularly with a duller than ditchwater second album and inter-family feuding that even Oasis would be impressed with. They fell from grace, and they fell hard and fast.

Their reunification in 2011 (they have actually been back together now three times as long as they were initially a band) turned out not to be as rapturously received as they’d hoped. By that point are Tom, Dick and Harriet had started playing classic rock suddenly they just weren’t that special any more. For nearly a decade, if found themselves reduced to the shoebox and toilet circuit that they had managed to skilfully avoid in their initial flirtation with fame. But this is a tale of redemption, and it has a happy ending. Due to award-winning podcasts and some fantastic media whoring, the world is now suddenly remembering The Darkness, and they are back playing arenas like they never went away.

They also released their biggest-selling album since “Permission to Land”, and if we are honest, it’s probably actually better than their fabled debut. “Dreams on Toast” is self-aware and self-derivative. It knows its limitations and its place on earth. It is a fantastically enjoyable rock ‘n’ roll album that sticks its tongue firmly in its cheek and is more than happy to laugh at its own inadequacies. As Justin sings, “We never stopped making hit albums, it's just that no one buys them anymore”. This is The Darkness playing heavy rock they love and that lack of inhibition just makes such rollocking fun.

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