Saxophonist Shabaka Hutchings’ quartet with tuba player Theon Cross and a rotating crew of never fewer than two drummers brought a lot of guests to the party on their major label debut, including saxophonist Nubya Garcia, poet Joshua Idehen, and toaster Congo Natty. The songs blend jazz, Caribbean parade music, dub, jungle and more into a frenetic, hyped-up roar with an ass-shaking beat.

SOK’s third album is a broad, bold and expansive revision of the language of jazz through a UK/Afro-Caribbean lens. It’s overtly political, the album name referring to the UK-royals-are-reptilians conspiracy theory, while each song title honours the name of a notable and influential black woman from history. 

My Queen is Ada Eastman’s rattling drums and deep tuba bass provide a stormy backing for spoken word artists Joshua Idehen’s impassioned poetry, while My Queen Is Mamie Phipps Clark cross-pollinates spirited jazz soloing with dub, rattling snares, vocals from Congo Natty and the low-end rumble of Theon Cross’s tuba bass. The reggae feel returns on the more placid My Queen is Nanny of The Maroons but this is a quiet moment of contrast in a storm of an album that trades on its high-intensity flow and uncompromising torrent of sound. A loud, proud and very British jazz album.