At recent live shows, Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn has taken to describing the band’s current lineup as the best it’s ever been. Boosted to a six-piece by the return of Franz Nicolay on keyboards, the Hold Steady of the band’s latter-day London residencies has been well worth the annual 800-mile round-trip: celebratory; poignant; communal; joyous.

“I don’t want to talk, man. Let’s just fucking do it,” announces Ese Okoroduku, before crashing into the opening guitar chord of her debut album’s title track. This sums up the Nigerian-born, south London musician's whole ethos. Up In Smoke was recorded is just two days, with only a couple of overdubs added later, and analogue tape used to capture gorgeous valve amp buzz and vocal warmth. Such a cavalier approach could easily have backfired had she not already thoroughly learned her craft as a busker before then touring her band for 18 months.

Nile Rodgers, the beaming, beret-sporting curator of this year’s splendidly eclectic Meltdown, strolls on to the Royal Festival Hall stage tonight to introduce his “dearest friend in the world”. The appearance of the CHIC maestro is not entirely unexpected given that he was, earlier this evening, at an event across the way in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, but it’s still a delight.

The perfect primer to The Regrettes comes towards the end of the colourful video for “I Dare You”, the bubblegum update to “Last Nite” by The Strokes that is the lead single from their second album. Teenage frontwoman Lydia Night delivers the title lyric for the first time in the song with a cheeky wink to the camera, but it’s so subtle - and her face is but one of four, off-centre on screen - that you’ll convince yourself you dreamt it.

Slipknot’s new album We Are Not Your Kind is to be let loose just as the band celebrate 20 years since their self-titled debut was released and five since .5: The Gray Chapter. Any idea that the misanthropic US shock-rockers might have turned down their shtick with time are far wide of the mark. Relentless tsunamis of guitar riffage and pounding drums with roaring vocals power such nihilistic monsters as “Nero Forte” and “Orphan”, as might be expected.

Founded in 1998, the Los Angeles based Anticon collective has become one of the most curiously individual of 21st century groupings.

In metal circles, Volbeat are a phenomenon. For almost 20 years the Danish rockers have been filling venues with their iconic combination of bulldozer riffs and hip-shaking Elvis swagger. It's the tension between these two contrasting influences that underpins their success. Or, at least, so far. Now, the recipe has changed: the tension has gone. The flavours have merged. It all sounds a lot softer. 

Fans won't be altogether surprised. Songwriter Michael Poulsen's music has been getting progressively lighter for years. What really strikes you is how mainstream it now feels. Other than the occasional obligatory rockabilly-metal number, the album is split between soft and contemporary rock.

The soft rock tracks fare the best. "The Last Day Under the Sun", about Johnny Cash, is a real windows-down, wind-in-the-hair West Coast rocker. "Cheapside Slogger" is an invigorating glam stomp. The rockabilly/psychobilly numbers aren't half bad either. "Die to Live" has a rich aroma of Brylcreem and engine oil. "Sorry Sack of Bones" feels almost like King Kurt. But, "Pelvis on Fire", the Presley pastiche, is way over the top.

The album's most lacklustre moments come where the boys flirt with a more contemporary rock sound. "Rewind the Exit" ends up sounding like Snow Patrol. "Leviathan" and "7-24"  are colourless and uninspired. The limpest song on the LP, "When We Were Kings", could practically be by The Fray. 

It's curious, then, that the band gave the album the title Rewind, Replay, Rebound which sounds like an attempt to evoke the early days. The LP is certainly not that, or even close. And yet, it's not a bad album either. It may be patchy, with frequent excursions into almost unpardonable blandness, but at its best, there's also the air of consummate musicians cutting loose. That, more or less, redeems it.

• More New Music reviews on theartsdesk

@russcoffey

Overleaf: Volbeat's video for "The Last Day Under the Sun"