IMAGINE a soundtrack to the end of the world and you would probably picture a metal band at the helm.

But singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt gives a nod to the apocalypse in the most ambitious and abrasive album of his career.

Fire and brimstone will not be far from your mind as you listen to Harcourt's excellent seventh record, Furnaces, which rumbles along with dark-tinged energy and spills over with fresh ideas and inventiveness.

The production is impeccable too thanks to Harcourt's work with long-time collaborator Flood, who has previously been in the studio with the likes of PJ Harvey and Foals.

Furnaces offers a diverse and fearless collection of songs and each tune sounds slick, boosted by Harcourt's confident delivery.

There are also so many interesting guitar tones and drum techniques accompanied by songwriter's ear for a strong melody.

One of the highlights is Loup Garou, an anthemic track with lots of different instrumentation throughout.

The World Is On Fire and Last Of Your Kind have a sort of post rock sound to them wrapped in a more conventional song structure.

The intriguing Occupational Hazard sounds like Portishead with a hangover while the smooth rhythm on There Is A Light Below makes you want to move.

One of the standout tracks though is Dionysus which changes the album's style and pace, morphing into a big rock song with distorted guitars.

With seven albums under his belt and having played piano at major festivals with the Libertines and served as musical director for Beck’s Songbook shows at the Barbican, Harcourt is well known in the music community.

But if you are new to the artist this is a great starting point for jumping into his work.

DAVID MORGAN