Some things never change. There are still just five of the blighters. And like the Wrath label band member Steve Morricone runs, The Scaramanga Six have been “purveyors of fine alternative pop/wholesome music since 2002”. Plus the seven extra years the group have been going for.

Having toyed with calling their fourth long-player The Kiss of Death, partly because they half-feared it would apply Death’s final pucker to their careers and partly because it just sounded so darn good, the Six eventually went for the similarly-titled The Dance of Death. No doubt referencing the sentiments of Hans Holbein’s 1538 macabre masterpiece of the same name. Quelle surprise then that Steve has taken to using “Good Evilning!” as an address.

Musically, the band are all over in the shop (in a good way), no more so than on opener ‘The Throning Room’ which emerges like the Creature from the Black Lagoon after two minutes of intense instrumental intro. Penultimate track ‘I See Red’, meanwhile, features a saxophone solo. Not heard since the days of The Blow Monkeys.

This dance macabre proves infectious. Only removal of both ears Van-Gogh-style would prevent you from succumbing to the darkly delicious ‘Baggage’ and explosively simple’Vesuvius’, just two tracks I could have name-checked out of the remaining eight.

Some things never change. The Scaramanga Six have produced another tour de force. Shock, and indeed, horror.
(4½/5)