The venom has returned for the Moz in the last few albums of his career – predecessor You Are the Quarry was full of vicious barbs like “Irish Blood, English Heart”. Ringleader of the Tormentors continues apace the appropriateness of his being released by Attack Records, with the album a vicious slice of classic Morrissey.

His voice is strong and true throughout, and time has not weathered it – the stripped-bare sound of “Dear God Please Help Me” could have been lifted from early in his career such is his fine tenor. It’s strange that such a pivotal moment comes so early on proceedings, second track in, sandwiched between the aggressive opener “I Will See You in Far Off Places” and the pop-focussed “You Have Killed Me”, which is a ripper of a single.

It continues apace – “The Youngest Was the Most Loved”, “In the Future When All’s Well” and “The Father Who Must Be Killed” all stand out as really strong songs, first and foremost. It takes until “Life is a Pigsty” for Morrissey to experiment once more, delivering seven-and-a-half minutes of pretty damn extraordinary sounds, from pitter-pattering rain to floating Pink Floyd-like vocal effects. As a centrepiece for an album, it’s an absolute corker.

If “I’ll Never Be Anybody’s Hero Now” is a bit of a letdown by comparison, “On the Streets I Ran” quickly picks up any slack. The thing that most strikes about Ringleader of the Tormentors is how on fire Morrissey is lyrically as well, with the dark tones of “To Me You Are a Work of Art” absolutely brilliant. Tony Visconti has given the album a great sound, but it’s Morrissey’s songs that make this such a great listen.