Pulled Apart By Horses' reputation has, thus far, been built on their live shows - no-holds-barred displays of infectious, noisy chaos which see the band throwing themselves around the stage with abandon. It's a reputation that has seen them tour with the likes of Biffy Clyro, The Bronx, and Blood Red Shoes, and even bagged them a support slot at one of Muse's September megashows. Just as importantly, it's culminated in Transgressive Records not only releasing the band's recent Live At Leeds EP, but also taking them on for their self-titled debut album proper. The question is, how does it fare in comparison?

Any fears that the experience might seem watered-down on record are quickly alleviated on lead single 'Back To The Fuck Yeah'. Tom Hudson's savage howl cuts through the track from the off, before the rest of the band slam down on the accelerator and the whole thing hurtles towards its conclusion in a mess of deafening screams and searing guitars. Elsewhere, 'High Five, Swan Dive, Nose Dive' perfectly captures the chaotic nature of the band's shows, with its sudden time signature changes and signature shout of "I'll make you dance with my balls of fire!" All that's missing is guitarist James Brown throwing himself off a speaker stack after the mid-section build-up.

Even when they deviate slightly from their hardcore-rocking template - see 'Yeah Buddy's unexpectedly melodic chorus, or the extended prog-metal jam of 'Den Horn' - they still sound unmistakably like themselves. And while the title of 'I've Got Guestlist To Rory O'Hara's Suicide' is a black-humoured reference to the bassist of fellow Leeds band Grammatics, the tune within is relentless, insane, and utterly brutal. (Fret not, Grammatics fans, he's still alive and well.)

The band's previous singles and B-sides have definitely benefited from being re-recorded, in particular 'I Punched A Lion In The Throat' and 'The Lighthouse', which both sound more raw and vicious than ever. The new versions of all the band's previous recordings feel like they capture the their live sound better, and as someone who has thoroughly enjoyed several Pulled Apart By Horses shows, I can definitely say that's a good thing.

But most importantly, Pulled Apart By Horses are just a hell of a lot of fun - big, raw, gloriously dumb fun, with lyrics that are just as crazy as their riffs are loud. This is a band unafraid to make geeky references to Back To The Future ("I think it's time that we ditched the hoverboard!") or The Legend Of Zelda ("The power, the courage, the wisdom!"), a band unafraid to punch lions in the throat, a band unafraid to drag you kicking and screaming on a thrilling ride through their brilliantly unhinged world. Pulled Apart By Horses is a record that proves rock doesn't always have to be serious business - and it's all the better for it.