Matt Helders talks Arctic Monkeys' new album: "It’s never gonna be like R U Mine? and all that stuff again"

16 May 2022, 15:06 | Updated: 9 August 2022, 18:56

Arctic Monkeys and their drummer Matt Helders. Picture: 1. Zackery Michael/Press 2. Christian Bertrand / Alamy Stock Photo

By Jenny Mensah

The Arctic Monkeys drummer has revealed that the band's seventh record picks up from where Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino left off.

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Matt Helders has teased what to expect from Arctic Monkeys' seventh studio album and it may not be music to all their fans' ears.

Four years ago band released their polarising sixth studio album, Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino (2018), which saw Alex Turner and co step away from the heavy guitars in favour of a more piano-based, lounge sound.

While some of their fans absolutely loved the departure, others called for the band to return to their earlier sound, or at least the more heavy sound of their previous effort, 2013's AM album.

However, speaking to Mike Dolbear for the DrumathonLive2022, drummer Matt Helders has revealed that the Sheffield band won't be returning to that sound again.

“It kinda like picks up where the other one [‘Tranquility Base Hotel & Casino’] left off musically,” he teased.

"I mean, it’s never gonna be like [2012 AM single] R U Mine? and all that stuff again, you know, the heavy riffs and stuff."

Watch his interview at the event from 45 minutes in:

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Unfortunately, we don't yet know when the album is due to be released, or what it will be called, but with the band plotting dates across Europe, and with a headline set scheduled for Reading & Leeds 2022, we can probably expect the record to come sometime this year.

Previously asked if the record was pretty much "ready to go", the Arabella drummer told the BBC: "Yeah, pretty much, yeah. It was a bit disjointed how we had to do it, and there are bits to finish off, but yeah, it’s all in the works.”

He added: "I think by the time we get everything together it’ll be next year. Hopefully we can get out and tour next summer."

“We tend to always move it on a little bit,” he teased. "For us, because we’re so involved in it, it always makes sense. They always kind of pick up where the other one left off in a way.

"It makes sense when you think about it in the context of the last record. But we always do try and do something a bit different – it’s kind of hard to describe. You can tell it’s the same band."