Kasabian

Kasabian could fill up venues on swagger alone, but it’s the UK band’s kaleidoscopic mix of British rock, spacey psychedelia, and ravey electronic that’s kept fans on their toes. After forming in 1997 in Leicester, England, under the name Saracuse, lead singer Tom Meighan, guitarist and singer-songwriter Sergio Pizzorno, guitarist Chris Karloff, and bassist Chris Edwards eventually transformed into Kasabian—a nod to Charles Manson cult member Linda Kasabian—and made a notable dent in alt-rock with its 2004 self-titled debut, a baggy, blustery brew of acid-dipped assaults. Kasabian’s stadium-sized grooves have only gotten headier and often wilder. On albums like 2006’s Empire and 2011’s Velociraptor!, the band teeters between dance-floor euphoria and restless paranoia, dropping glam, disco, and Middle Eastern influences into its bubbling melting pot. Even with a few lineup changes—most notably Meighan’s exit in 2020 and Pizzorno taking the reins on 2022’s raucous concept album The Alchemist’s Euphoria—Kasabian remains committed to keeping rock bold and boisterous.