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Known for their visceral, politically-charged rhetoric, the component parts of Rou, Rory, Chris and Rob make up for one of the most distinctive British bands hailing from our Island. Formed in St Albans, the four-piece of Enter Shikari were for many, their first taste of post-hardcore lineage. Enthusing elements of metalcore, alternative flashy rock, cutting synths, heavy sub-bass lines and deeply evocative lyricism are arguably, a band unlike any other.

Ahead of their tour next month, we rank their studio albums from worst to best – including their most recent eighth. And with one of the most consistent catalogues going, this listing was remarkably harder than expected. One thing we can agree on though, is that this band has never missed.

Do you agree with our list? Are there any that you disagree with? Let us know!

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Setting the record as their first Number One record, A Kiss For The Whole World arrived on our shores in April of 2023. A step away from their fused electronic-pop creativity from Nothing is True three years ago, their seventh record here saw a fresh take to a melodic sound – all the while staying true to their roots of alternative edge. While it reprised its role as a more uplifting triumph melody-wise, the album was let down with half-baked ideas and anthems that didn’t hit the heights of their earlier work. Repeat stand-outs (pls) set me on fire and goldfish feature. We reviewed this album here at the time of its release, if you wish to read on more.

A pivotal shift from the previous, fifth record The Spark is their most melodic, most emotionally personable record to date. Our first hello to the machine that is Sparky (“The Machine”) on the album cover, the album – released in September – was met with amassed appraise. Dealing heavily with personal reflection, the lighter side to Shikari sees The Sights and Take My Country Back receive spotlights with MIDI keyboards abound, while Airfield and An Ode… are some of the deeply sad cuts in their catalogue. An integral project to the bands’ journey as a whole, The Spark shows Rou and co at a time of struggle and intense hurt. For all its emotion, its held back via its concept and kick.

An underrated record that falls below the radar due to its timing of release in lockdown, Nothing is True.. was the bands’ sixth record and saw new paths ventured down. Tonal shifts, prized orchestral sweeps, birdsongs and conceptual workings-out all make up a sonically decisive record – and one that’s perhaps their most innovative. Some ideas whirled up better than others – but its main thesis of modern anxiety still drives home today and is delivered with gut-punches like Dreamers’ Hotel and electronic-dance hit T.I.N.A. The fifteen-track project compartmentalises a dizzying venture of epic proportions. Human possibility is a wonderous thing. At the time of its release, you can read our full review of it here.

It is often unheard of for bands for an eighth record to feature so highly on a tier list. But you must realise by now, Enter Shikari are not just any band. Released as a surprise drop in April this year, this heavily cinematic record came with no advanced promotion or spoon-fed dives into the album. Instead, it focused on human connection and community as it forced listeners to experience it as one with the way albums are meant to be played. Uninterrupted. From start to finish. We reviewed the album here so we won’t go into too much detail, but safe to say – the concept paid off. A highly-praised delight from a band still going strong after so many years, Lose Your Self is an intense and prolific tale of a band that have no signs of losing their forte. Catchy hard-hitters demons and Find Out the Hard Way… were immediate standouts amongst fans as were the two-parter of Flick of a Switch – an apt callback to their rambunctious techno side, perhaps.

Concept-heavy record tying in a new narrative not tried before in Shikari circles, the record – arguably their most focused and sharpest since post-Spark – was met with passionate enthusiasm amongst fans new and old.

The one that kicked it all off. The debut album, first published in March of 2007, remains a huge fan-favourite (and often appears as the number one spot) for its raw mix of post-hardcore, electronics and drum + bass. from the twenty-somethings. A wholly-complete album from the off, it sold 28,000 copies in the first week alone, personifying how revolutionary this project was at the time. Impactful Mothership and the bands’ most known quip in Sorry You’re Not A Winner features, as does slower numbers like Adieu, that would be the benchmark for the bands’ deeply emotional arrangements in the future.

2015 saw Enter Shikari see new experimental limits. The Mindsweep strode into the new year and took on legs of its own.

A feat in excellent songwriting, the fourth record is a polished, highly dynamic record that balances those weighty moments with equally infectious hooks. Further, this was the album that transitioned their sound from those heavier earlier works to a more synth-heavy free-roaming road – the record saw greater variation in style and story but still remained true to the bands’ politically-charged roots.The Mindsweep contains the explosive back-to-back of Anaesthetist and The Last Garrison while Torn Apart and The Bank of England drifted into the realms of alternative study. The record also saw moments of calm amongst the calamity with Dear Future Historians… a seismic reach for the next generations’ hope.

The bands’ sophomore hotly came off the heels of their debut two years earlier. A feisty follow-up of the bands’ introductory statement of intent, the ’09 masterpiece was met with similarly progressive ideas: Solidarity, Juggernauts and tour staple The Jester all feature. As ever, poignant moments cropped up with the gorgeous flows of Fanfare for the Conscious Man playing out the record. Praised for its more dark, socially conscious commentary, the main talking points still hold up today in today’s society – despite the album being seventeen years old. A wall-to-wall cluster of noise and harmony, the fifteen tracks underpinned the bands’ debut foundations and took one giant leap forwards.

One of their most utterly-expansive and genuinely enthralling albums, A Flash Flood of Colour perfectly captures the band at their brightest and boldest. High-energy fusions of electronic and experimental playing out on a political battlefield, their third is the fans’ favourite for a reason. And shouldn’t come much as a surprise topping the bill here. Featuring anthemic romps, Sssnakepit and Gandhi Mate, Gandhi aswell as the softer melodies of Constellations, its a dazzling display from a bands’ ultimate magnum opus.

AFFOC was also my first introduction to the band. Released as their first single promo for the record, a bustling fifteen year old me purchased Ssssnakepit as a digital download. From there on in, I was in a pit of my own. A musical pit, if you will. The fusion of spoken-word angst against the establishment traversed amongst a tetchy techno beat was enough to draw me in indefinitely.

A top pick amongst fans for its high energy, electronic-driven sound, encompassing some of the bands’ greatest messaging put to tape, A Flash Flood of Colour is the must start for any listeners eager to get into Enter Shikari.