If you thought country music was all hairspray and rhinestones, then you’d be wrong – very wrong. When it comes to the long, dark corners of the soul, nothing beats a prime slice of low down and dirty Americana.

Cerberus is darker than dark. To paraphrase the mighty Spinal Tap, you can’t get much black than black. Even the track listing will give you the chills, with songs like ‘Scream Your Last Scream’ and ‘Hellbound Train’. You could almost be forgiven for thinking that Vincent Price himself had a hand in making this, except of course, he didn’t. It was recorded in Seven Sisters and Islington. It really doesn’t get much spookier than that.

So maybe I’m overplaying the Hammer Horror stuff. Trent Miller, despite being in London, is more in tune with Southern gothic writers like William Faulkner and William Elliot Whitmore. These stripped back songs, with just him, his guitar, harmonica and the odd bit of percussion, are mean, moody and magnificence. It’s very reminiscent of artists like Jace Everett, who is currently being heard on the vampire TV show True Blood. It’s dark stuff, but played from the heart. It’s about people doing bad things to other people. You have been warned.

Trent’s well-worn voice sounds like Bob Dylan in his prime and in many ways, Mr Zimmerman would approve. Folk noir is definitely the new black rock and Trent Miller wears it well.

Jamie Hailstone