ALL four Chemical Brothers albums since their debut 'In Dust We Trust' have gone to No 1 in Britain and it's reasonable to expect this one will too, mainly because it features the Brothers' unique bigbeat sound while featuring as its best tracks collaborations with Klaxons, Midlake and Willy Mason.

But just when you think they're about to pull off another 'Dig Your Own Hole' the dodgy moments reveal themselves, none more so than 'The Salmon Dance' (featuring Fatlip) which sounds like a bad Lemon Jelly b-side. Be warned.

Download: 'We Are The Night', 'All Rights Reserved', 'Battle Scars' Neil Dunphy

Queens of the Stone Age Era Vulgaris Polydor (53m 22s) . .HAVING employed six drummers, five guitarists, five bassists, a keyboard player and Mark Lanegan over the past 10 years it's no surprise that one doesn't quite know what to expect from QOTSA's one constant, Josha Homme. Many felt the loss of longtime bassist Nick Oliveri had mortally wounded the band but 'Lullabies To Paralyse' begged to differ. Here on their fifth album the lighter, Led Zeppelinesque sound offers a smokier, bluesy soundtrack to a hot, frustrating summer.

Frustrating musically too.

Download: 'Make It Wit Chu', 'Misfit Love', ' Battery Acid' ND

Marilyn Manson Eat Me, Drink Me Interscope (53m 22s) . . .

'EAT Me, Drink Me' is a more intriguing prospect than previous Manson albums, being the first release since his separation from saucy burlesqui�re Dita Von Teese, a personal trauma that might have elicited a correspondingly personal outpouring. So what is Marilyn's immediate response to their split?

Well, both 'If I Was Your Vampire' and the title track are fantasies of erotic consensual murder. Several other songs deal more directly with break-up and rejection but it's a shame Manson's urge to challenge preconceptions doesn't extend to the actual music on 'Eat Me, Drink Me', which is dullard heavy rock.

Andy Gill

Loudon Wainwright III Strange Weirdos Concord . . . .

HAVING long been a fan, director Judd Apatow cast Loudon Wainwright as a priest in his film 'The 40-Year-Old Virgin' and then as a gynaecologist in 'Knocked Up', for which he asked the songwriter to provide the score. Wainwright delivered songs that were then stripped of vocals to furnish the incidental music, only being reunited with lyrics for this album. They are typically witty, trenchant pieces observing love and parenthood, from the entreaties of a horny new lover in 'So Much To Do', a cakewalk of piano, mandolin and dobro, to 'X or Y', a hootenanny rave-up about gender, and the weary resignation of 'Doin' the Math'.

AG