BRIGHOUSE band Embrace have finished writing their fifth album.

The band - featuring Brighouse brothers Danny and Richard McNamara - staged a huge comeback last year with their fourth offering, Out Of Nothing.

The album's success - it hit No 1 in the charts and went platinum - followed a slump for the group, who had been dropped by record label Hut Recordings in 2002.

But a deal with label Independiente and a working partnership with top producer Youth led to what has been a year of amazing success for the band.

So much so that singer Danny was worried they would never write another album as good as Out Of Nothing.

He said: "When we finished our last album I really thought it was going to be our last.

"Bands rarely get a second chance, but this year has been without doubt the best the band has ever had.

"I said when we finished Out Of Nothing that we wouldn't make a better album. I didn't know how we were going to be able to do it.

"I felt like I'd said everything I had to say. Just as we were at our most successful I was seriously considering giving it all up - and so was Richard."

But the band's long-time friend, Independiente boss Andy MacDonald, asked them to go back to Youth's studio in Spain and start album five.

Although the band were initially reluctant, Danny says it was a magical experience which has produced their best album yet.

Danny added: "I wished I lived on the Moon. My personal life had been, shall we say, turbulent and I couldn't face it.

"I've no idea what happened in Spain, but basically we wrote most of the album in nine days. We did it in a completely different way.

"In the past me or Richard has written the songs and then we work on them as a band.

"In those nine days we started writing as a band and something changed.

"We've rendered almost all our back catalogue obsolete."

Andy MacDonald was so impressed that he wanted the album out this year.

But, ever perfectionists, the band wanted to give it more time and had two more writing sessions.

Now the album is written and even has a title, Exploding Machines.

It is not being recorded yet, as the band are gearing up for an arena tour in December.

The tour will be bigger and glitzier than previous Embrace gigs and will feature material from the new album.

But it will be a curtain call for some of the old Embrace tracks.

Danny said: "Last year we were on the dole. This year we are playing arenas. We're still pinching ourselves.

"There's lots of new people into the band now, so we've decided the shows at the end of the year are going to be the last time we will ever play some of your old favourites.

"It's time for us to take the next step. I just want to say to everyone reading this, thank you for giving us this second chance. We won't let you down."

For more details on the tour, visit www.embrace.co.uk