HE’S back and with a vigorous vengeance. The Fall, the haven and escape valve for Mark E Smith for more than three decades, unleash their debut album for Domino and their 28th release in all.

While fronting what seems his zillionth line-up, Smith’s current combo of Peter “PP” Greenway (guitars), Dave “The Eagle” Spurr (bass), Eleni Poulou (keyboards, bass and backing vocals) and Keiron Melling (drums) have been in tow for several years, the longest tenure for many accomplices of the maestro of menace.

That togetherness is at the core of YFOC. All collaborate on various song-writing duties alongside the mesmeric Smith, and each underpins the venerable viceroy of venom’s trademark snarl.

In particular, the Melling and Spurr drum and bass axis is tighter than the laggy band around a miser’s wad to propel the dynamics of opening two tracks OFYC Showcase and Bury Pts 1 & 3.

Smith continues to spit and scowl, never more than on Hot Cake when he leaves the John Lydon of PIL sounding almost as plummy as David Cameron.

While there are blurred moments from the tower-block sound and Smith’s vocal tripping, it all meshes into the album’s killer track, Chino.

Fired by a riff U2’s the Edge would covet, Chino is five minutes and 18 seconds of bone-scraped rawness in which Smith yelps “When can I quit this hell?” Hopefully not for a long time yet, Mr Smith.