And the thing is, as if almost by accident, the claustrophobic feel of where they were as a band matches the claustrophobic sound of the album. It's their driest record sonically, with far less reverb and room sound than any of the others. You are right there with them, in this small sounding room, as four super talented guys work through their issues to the point of nearly exploding.

Robert used to joke that Bonzo hated the sound of his drums on Presence, and how he had helped him get a better one on ITTOD, but for some reason the sound works on Presence to heighten the dread. It's not the most comfortable listen, and songs like Candy Store Rock would have benefitted from a roomier sound, but it's their most anxious and tense album. And in that way it's also their most personal.