Sleaford Mods - The Demise of Planet X (Album Review)
Tuesday, 20 January 2026
Written by Jack Butler-Terry
For anybody who has followed Sleaford Mods over the past two decades, it won’t come as a surprise to learn that Jason Williamson is pissed off. But in our doomscroll-centric world, which seems to churn out misery and despair ad infinitum, that feeling has only grown more pointed.
On ‘The Demise of Planet X’, the post-punk duo, completed by instrumentalist Andrew Hearn, take aim at alpha male culture (Bad Santa), childhood bullying (Gina Was), and social media (Megaton) with Williamson’s trademark sneer and sardonic wit as aggressively delivered as ever, even if some of the messaging gets lost or confusing in the torrent.
Williamson has openly stated that he was finding stories and direction along the way and that does show in some aimless meandering, but cuts such as Flood The Zone feel razor sharp in their disdain for today’s politics.
“MAGA’s on the beer / And It’s made a phone call / Henry the Eighth in the Oval / It’s gonna cause a ripple,” Williamson spits through gritted teeth.
What really elevates ‘The Demise of Planet X’, though, is Hearn working from his most expansive palette to date. Historically, Williamson’s lyrics have done battle with minimalist drum patterns and bedroom-hobbyist beats, but here there is some lavish, layered work that reflects the fact it was captured in part at Bristol’s Invada and the hallowed halls of Abbey Road. The eerie melodies of Shoving The Images, and the charming keys that underpin No Touch’s chorus, feel new for Sleaford Mods, adding nuance to the tracks that reward repeated listens.
Equally revelatory is an increased focus on features. They’ve peppered them throughout recent record but here it feels like a facet that’s here to stay. Gwendoline Christie’s maniacal turn on lead single The Good Life is engrossing, Snowy’s verse on Kill List adds to the grit, and Aldous Harding’s lilting chorus on Elitest G.O.A.T puts the song in the conversation for Sleaford Mods’ finest of all-time.
‘The Demise of Planet X’ is a tale of two halves, then. Musically speaking, it feels like Sleaford Mods’ most complete and attractive release yet, but lyrically it feels almost-there. It’s a solid album that, with its increased focus on melody, may actually do more to draw in new fans than ‘UK GRIM’ and ‘English Tapas’ ever could. Sleaford Mods’ present might be muddled, but their future may well be brighter than that of the rest of the world.
Sleaford Mods Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri February 06 2026 - GLASGOW Barrowland
Sat February 07 2026 - MANCHESTER Manchester Academy
Thu February 12 2026 - LEEDS O2 Academy Leeds
Fri February 13 2026 - LIVERPOOL O2 Academy Liverpool
Sat February 14 2026 - CARDIFF Great Hall, Cardiff Students' Union
Thu February 19 2026 - DUBLIN 3Olympia Theatre
Fri February 20 2026 - BELFAST Limeight
Sat February 21 2026 - CORK Cyprus Avenue
Thu February 26 2026 - OXFORD O2 Academy Oxford
Fri February 27 2026 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Sat February 28 2026 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Thu March 05 2026 - BRISTOL Beacon
Fri March 06 2026 - BRIGHTON Dome
Sat March 07 2026 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
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