Pochette officielle — Kasabian, ACT III (Columbia).
The wait is finally over. Kasabian release their ninth studio album ACT III on September 4, 2026, a few weeks later than the July 17 date first penciled in. With it, the Leicester band close a single campaign that has been running for almost a year, and prove once again that they remain one of British rock’s last great suppliers of stadium-sized choruses.
An album sent back to the operating table
The delay was no whim. Announcing the push-back, the band said they had put the record “back on the operating table for a few final adjustments,” unwilling to release it until “everything was just right.” The result runs to thirteen tracks and barely thirty-three minutes: ACT III embraces a lean, no-filler format built to play end to end without a dull moment. At the controls is Serge Pizzorno, the group’s one-man engine, who co-produced the album with Mark Ralph, a pop-electronic craftsman well versed in festival-ready hooks.
That taste for concision is no surprise from a band that has always favored impact over indulgence. Where many acts pad out their albums to inflate streaming numbers, Kasabian do the opposite: thirteen songs cut for the stage, and a record that rewards a single, uninterrupted listen. The sleeve itself, quietly recolored days before release, hints at a band itching to get back in the ring after a summer on hold.
From “Hippie Sunshine” to “Great Pretender”
The rollout was carefully staged. Lead track “Hippie Sunshine” opened proceedings back in September 2025. It was followed by “Great Pretender” in April 2026, the wiry, hook-heavy song that became the album’s calling card, then “Superpowers” in June, whose video roped in actor Stephen Graham, and finally “Nothing Better Than This” in mid-August. Four markers tracing the same line: electronic-tinged verses, choruses that detonate, and the enduring urge to get whole fields singing.
Serge Pizzorno at the wheel
Formed in Leicester in the late 1990s, Kasabian broke through in 2004 on the back of “Club Foot” and “L.S.F.”, before becoming one of the most in-demand names on the British festival circuit, headlining Glastonbury and Reading alike. “Empire,” “Fire” and “Fast Fuse” set out a signature: massive riffs, an almost electronic pulse, and a knack for crowd-ready refrains.
Since Tom Meighan’s departure in 2020, everything has rested on Serge Pizzorno, who took over lead vocals on top of guitar and production. Alongside Chris Edwards, Ian Matthews and Tim Carter, he first silenced the doubters with The Alchemist’s Euphoria and then Happenings in 2024, and ACT III extends that second life. The album lands in a rich season for British guitar music: after a Reading & Leeds bill made up entirely of British and Irish headliners, the old guard of rock is clearly back in favor.
It is part of a wider surge of big names plugging back in, from Brandon Flowers’ country turn on “THRASHER” to a steady stream of comebacks. Against that backdrop, Kasabian bet on what they do best: efficient anthems, undimmed live energy, and a short format that leaves no room for filler. Whether ACT III proves a lasting record remains to be seen; for now, the first listen gets straight to the point.
The official “Great Pretender” video:
