| The Demise of Planet X | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 January 2026 | |||
| Studio |
| |||
| Genre | Electro-punk [1] | |||
| Length | 41:37 | |||
| Label | Rough Trade | |||
| Producer | Sleaford Mods | |||
| Sleaford Mods chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from The Demise of Planet X | ||||
| ||||
The Demise of Planet X is the 13th studio album by the English duo Sleaford Mods, released on 16 January 2026 through Rough Trade Records. [2] Preceded by five singles, it features performances from Gwendoline Christie, Big Special, Aldous Harding, Sue Tompkins, Liam Bailey, and Snowy.
The album was recorded at Sleaford Mods' regular studio JT Soar in Nottingham, with additional recording done at Abbey Road Studios, in London and Invada Studios in Bristol. [3]
Sleaford Mods had previously used the title "The Demise of Planet X" as the name of a livestream event in early 2021 at the Village Underground in London, when they were in the midst of a tour shortly before releasing the album Spare Ribs . [4] The name is in reference to the Planet X conspiracy theory, which posits a doomsday scenario resulting from a planetary collision or near-collision. Frontman Jason Williamson told the The Standard that although he believes that it is just a conspiracy, "it's like it's already happened. We've already been laid to waste. Now what have we got? Much is the same. Artisan Scotch eggs are still being baked, Pret's still open, but everyone’s on tenterhooks." This idea formed the broad concept for the album. [5]
On 16 September 2025, Sleaford Mods released a single entitled "Megaton", which at that point had not been publicly attached to an upcoming album. The accompanying music video directed by Nick Waplington shows the duo performing the song at Speakers' Corner in Hyde Park, London. Proceeds from the single went to the charity organisation War Child. [6] The second single "The Good Life" was accompanied with a Ben Wheatley-directed music video and the announcement for the album on 21 October 2025. [2] Consisting of a "minimalist, three note beat", the song features vocals from actress Gwendoline Christie—her musical debut—and duo Big Special. [7] An alternate "dark" version of the music video was later released on Halloween 2025 and, like the original, was directed by Wheatley and shot in one take. [8]
A third single, "Bad Santa", was released on 20 November 2025 with a video that shows the duo performing the song live at JT Soar, [9] directed by Ian Tatham. [10] On 16 December, Sleaford Mods released the single "No Touch", featuring vocals from Sue Tompkins, formerly of Life Without Buildings. She finished her part in two days with the duo while they were recording in Bristol. In a press release, Williamson said that Tompkins had a cold at the time, but they felt "it added to the track." The corresponding music video for the single was directed by Andrea Arnold, an English filmmaker known for works such as Fish Tank (2009) and American Honey (2016). [11] On 12 January 2026, four days before the release of the album, the duo revealed the fifth single "Elitest G.O.A.T" featuring New Zealand singer-songwriter Aldous Harding with a music video directed by John Minton. [12]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.4/10 [13] |
| Metacritic | 76/100 [14] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Arts Desk |   [15] |
| Clash | 7/10 [16] |
| Classic Pop |  [17] |
| Classic Rock | 8/10 [18] |
| DIY | [19] |
| Louder Than War | [20] |
| Mojo | [21] |
| Record Collector | [22] |
| The Times | [23] |
| Uncut | 8/10 [24] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic , The Demise of Planet X received "generally favorable reviews" based on a weighted average score of 76 out of 100 from 17 critic scores. [14] AnyDecentMusic?, another reviews aggregator, gave the album an average of 7.4 out of 10 based on a sample of 17 critics' scores. [13]
In an 8 out of 10 review for Uncut magazine, Stuart Stubbs said that, "with plenty of gags and even more appalling language", The Demise of Planet X "sounds very Sleaford Mods", adding that "The softer edges and new accessibility only makes the fury and dread eerily heavier." [24] Editors at AllMusic gave the album 4 stars of 5, with reviewer Heather Phares commenting on its political backdrop: "Sleaford Mods may not offer any easy answers, but musically at least, they're more committed to progress than the society around them." [25] In a mixed review for DIY , Cameron Sinclair Harris thought the album was "most compelling" when it was Williamson's lyrics were more confessional, like on the closer "The Unwrap"; otherwise, they thought that unless the listener is already a fan of the duo, it doesn't provide anything new "beside a few more timely references". [19]
All lyrics are written by Jason Williamson, with additional lyricists noted below; all music is composed by Andrew Fearn and Williamson. [26]
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Good Life" (feat. Gwendoline Christie and Big Special) |
| 3:01 |
| 2. | "Double Diamond" | 4:19 | |
| 3. | "Elitest G.O.A.T." (feat. Aldous Harding) | Hannah Topp | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Megaton" | 2:52 | |
| 5. | "No Touch" (feat. Sue Tompkins) | Tompkins | 3:04 |
| 6. | "Bad Santa" | 3:24 | |
| 7. | "The Demise of Planet X" | 2:23 | |
| 8. | "Don Draper" | 4:18 | |
| 9. | "Gina Was" | 3:26 | |
| 10. | "Shoving the Images" | 2:27 | |
| 11. | "Flood the Zone" (feat. Liam Bailey) |
| 3:21 |
| 12. | "Kill List" (feat. Snowy) | Alexander Shand-Green | 3:11 |
| 13. | "The Unwrap" | 2:26 | |
| Total length: | 41:37 | ||
Credits are adapted from Tidal. [26]
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Albums (ARIA) [27] | 36 |
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria) [28] | 71 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders) [29] | 178 |
| French Albums (SNEP) [30] | 178 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [31] | 13 |
| German Rock & Metal Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [32] | 3 |
| Irish Independent Albums (IRMA) [33] | 13 |
| New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [34] | 39 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC) [35] | 4 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [36] | 48 |
| UK Albums (OCC) [37] | 6 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC) [38] | 1 |