When times are tough, or you're feeling worn down, you start longing for a life of total peace. A life where there are no fights, arguments or lies; where there is no such thing as disappointment and your actions have no consequences.

Some might call it a "fantasy world". Genre-jumping Belgian trio Brutus call it the "Unison Life" - a phrase that titles their third studio album.

Unison Life is about all the stuff that wears you down in the first place. It's the ugliness, the pain, and the acts of bravery that get you through it all.

Beginning with a portrait of contentment and unravelling from there, the album goes into battle and asks what really counts.

In their own words: "Is this Unison Life a hoax? Or a quest?" Unison Life finds Brutus at their most intentional.

They were more deliberate about the sound, which links into the artwork (produced by Mulders), as well as the music video for "Liar", which saw Mannaerts travel to Morocco for the first video the band has done that has fun with concepts and storytelling.

The absence of touring over the last few years has seen Brutus channel 100% of their energy into Unison Life, and the result is a blistering illustration of a boundary-pushing band at the top of their game.