At this point, Mogwai has had a long and illustrious career. They were pioneers of guitar-based post rock, laying the groundwork for hundreds of other bands. As the Love Continues, their tenth album (not including numerous soundtracks and EPs), was released on the 25th anniversary of their very first single.

But even with such an iconic tenure, there’s one thing that’s eluded them: mainstream commercial success. And while they’re not going to be headlining TRL any time soon, that changed this year when a Mogwai fans (including Elijah Wood) started a viral campaign to get their new album to the number one spot of the UK charts.

It worked, but not just because of celebrity endorsement. If ever there was a Mogwai album to peak the charts, it was this one, perfectly encapsulating everything the Glaswegian post rockers do best.

While Mogwai has been consistently active since their revolutionary 1997 debut Young Team, the jury’s been a little split on the consistency of their catalog. However, ever since Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will ten years ago, their career has been going through something of a renaissance. Rave Tapes experimented with electronics to create one of the freshest albums of their career. Every Country’s Sun added more of their traditional sonic palette, and at the time I said it might have been the best album of their career.

And with As The Love Continues, I’m saying it again. Only this time, I’m not alone. Best I can gauge the consensus from fans and critics alike, this may be the only record they’ve released to give Young Team a credible challenge to the title of Best Album.

As The Love Continues feels both like a retrospective on their celebrated career and a declaration to stay the course, like a married couple renewing their vows at an anniversary celebration. All of the classic guitar-heavy elements are here (and a few of the most notable bass lines of their career), mixed with the electronic elements of the last few records. But where Rave Tapes and even Every Country’s Sun had some moments of feeling out, here those elements feel as natural to their songwriting process as their guitars and pedalboards. “Here We, Here We, Here We Go Forever” would feel like an early career track, were it not for the old-school hip hop drum machine and glitching synths that open the song. “Dry Fantasy” is primarily built by atmospheric synths, but it doesn’t feel out of place next to guitar-based tracks. “Fuck Off Money” opens with a vocoder, then builds to one of the most devastatingly heavy climaxes they’ve ever had.

Even the more Classic Mogwai sounding tracks feature heavy use of augmentation, such as the atmospheric pulse of “To the Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth,” which later finds guitars and synthesizers mirroring the same melody line. “Pat Stains” is carried by interweaving guitar and piano lines straight out of Young Team, but a swirl of synthesizers and strings buzzes above them until the song explodes.

But beyond any talk of mixing old sounds and new, this album is just good. In fact, the experimentation and fusion is hardly noticeable unless you’re looking for it, because their atmospheric architecture is so flawless. “Ceiling Granny” is muscular and triumphant, sounding so anthemic that you want to sing along, despite the fact that there are no vocals. Album closer “It’s What I Want to Do, Mum” is quintessential Mogwai, effortlessly capturing what makes the band so special without sounding like a rehash of the last twenty-five years.

I would truly be remiss if I didn’t mention the shoegazy “Richie Sacramento.” Mogwai aren’t usually considered to be one of the more emotionally driven post rock acts around (at least when compared to acts like MONO and Explosions in the Sky), but they can tug your heartstrings when they want. This track is one of their most evocative, combining their own mastery of instrumental mood with fuzzy guitars and tender vocals to land somewhere between My Bloody Valentine and M83.

I often have a hard time picking highlights from albums, but this one is especially hard. As I listen, every new track feels like it must be mentioned. Through its eleven-track, sixty-one-minute runtime, As The Love Continues feels like a highlight reel. It’s an absolutely essential record in a discography that can feel overwhelmingly stuffed. It can be debated whether it’s their best album ever, but there’s no denying that it showcases Mogwai at their best.