The main thing that sets Eminem apart from virtually all other rappers is the conflicted nature of his character. Where most wallow in wearyingly cliched boasts of luxury and power, Eminem remains wracked by doubts – about his status, his behaviour, his relationships, his emotions, his mental health. It’s this constant self-laceration that accounts for the manic mood-swings of his albums, the sudden shifts between fury, tragedy and comedy, and which enables him to navigate those changes so nimbly. And rarely has that doubt been more clearly analogised than in the reflective single “Walk On Water”, where any messianic notions are tempered by the sound of ice cracking beneath his steps. “Kids look to me as a god, this is retarded,” he muses, fully aware of his shortcomings, and tormented by visions of his decline.

But not for long. This album is called Revival, after all, and the next track, “Believe”, finds Eminem’s faith in his talent creeping back in. The ticking beat and sinister, John Carpenter-esque piano figure are harbingers of resurgent menace, while the hazy, treated chorus hook sounds like medication flooding his spirit with the confidence that carries the rest of the album.

There are plenty of typical Eminem tropes scattered throughout Revival: he picks constantly at the scabs of marital failure, though in pieces such as “Bad Husband” and “Tragic Ending” he’s worked towards a position of forgiveness and shared responsibility, accepting that infatuation and incompatibility is an explosive combination, and that he and his ex are “not bad people, just bad together” - a surprisingly mature conclusion for such an emotionally raw artist. Likewise, while he can’t resist a good old murder fantasy, there’s none of the relish with which they used to be recounted: in “Framed”, it’s more like a bad dream, as Eminem frantically tries to evade capture for a crime he can’t even remember committing.

Elsewhere, the political anger that bubbled over into the recent trending online freestyle attack on Donald Trump finds more considered outlets. In “Like Home”, Alicia Keys’ anthemic abilities are harnessed for a rousing call to reclaim the real America from a roundly castigated usurper; while a hard-rock riff (sampled from Cheech & Chong!) soundtracks “Untouchable”, a Black Lives Matter blast condemning the contrasting treatment of black boys and white boys – especially white cops. “It’s like we’re stuck in a time-warp,” he admits shamefully, noting the widespread reversion to pre-Civil Rights attitudes.

Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Show all 17 1 /17 Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem arrives for the world premiere of the film 8 Mile, 6 November, 2002 in Los Angeles. The film, directed by Curtis Hanson, was based loosely on Eminem's life REUTERS/Robert Galbraith RG/ME Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Kim Mathers appears in Macomb County Circuit Court with her attorney Michael Smith, 26 March, 2007 in Mt Clemens, Michigan. Mathers' ex-husband, Marshall Mathers, also known as Eminem, filed a motion seeking to prohibit her from making derogatory, disparaging, inflammatory and otherwise negative comments about him in public, claming that her comments could harm the couple's daughter Hailie Bill Pugliano/Getty Images Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem performs a medley of 'I Love My Chick' and 'Touch It' with Busta Rhymes at the 2006 BET Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, 27 June, 2006 REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar A make-shift memorial sits outside the nightclub where rapper Proof was shot dead in Detroit, Michigan, 11 April 2006. Proof (DeShaun Holton), a founding member of the rap group D12 and close friend of Eminem, was shot outside the Detroit nightclub C.C.C along Eight mile road REUTERS/Rebecca Cook Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar 50 Cent and Eminem appear on stage during BET's 106 & Park event, 4 December, 2006 in New York City Scott Gries/Getty Images Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem performs a medley of 'Ass Like That' and 'Mockingbird' with a dancers in costume during the 2005 MTV Movie Awards on 4 June, 2005 in Los Angeles, California Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem talks with his manager Paul Rosenburg at the annual Financial Hip Hop Summit, 14 May, 2005 in Detroit, Michigan. The summit, which brought together Def Jam label founder Russell Simmons and hip hop and rap artists to raise awareness of young adults about the importance of financial empowerment Bill Pugliano/Getty Images Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem with 50 Cent and Dr. Dre, arriving at the Shady National Convention to launch Shade 45, a new satellite radio station, at the Roseland Ballroom, 28 October, 2004 in New York City Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem bares his backside to the audience as he performs with his band D12 during the 2004 MTV Movie Awards, 5 June, 2004 in LA, California REUTERS/Jim Ruymen JR/CRB Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem walks up to accept the award for "Best Video from a Film" award during the 2003 MTV Video Music Awards at Radio City Music Hall on 28 August, 2003 in New York City Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Macomb County Circuit Court Judge Deborah Servitto examines a CD that was handed to her by Eminem's attorney Pete Peacock, 18 August, 2003 in Mt Clemens, Michigan. Eminem is defending himself against a $1 million defamation lawsuit filed by D'angelo Baliey, his former elementary school nemesis. Bailey maintains that Eminem defamed him in 'Brain Damage', a song from Eminem's The Slim Shady LP, and thus damaged his career as an aspiring rapper. In the song, Eminem depicts Bailey as a junior high school bully Bill Pugliano/Getty Images Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Crowds clog the streets bringing traffic to a halt in Times Square with hopes of getting a glimpse of Eminem during his appearence on TRL at the MTV studios in New York City, 8 November, 2002 Scott Gries/ImageDirect Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar An Oakland County Sheriff stands guard as Eminem listens to proceedings in an Oakland County courtroom, 28 June, 2001. Eminem was sentenced on a weapons charge stemming from a dispute with the manager of rap group Insane Clown Posse in Royal Oak, Michigan in 2000. Eminem received one year probation, court costs and fines. While sentencing Eminem, Judge Denise Langford Morris told him 'Don't misstep. Don't fall down. Now is the time for you to please stand up' REUTERS/Rebecca Cook Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem performs at the Brit Awards at the Earls Court arena in London, 26 February, 2001 REUTERS/POOL Old Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem performs the song 'Stan' with Elton John at the 43rd annual Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, 21 February, 2001 REUTERS/Gary Hershorn Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Dr Dre, Eminem and MTV VJ Rebecca Romijn-Stamos perform during MTV's Spring Break 2000 in Cancun, Mexico Frank Micelotta/Getty Images Eminem: The fall and rise of a superstar Eminem accepts his award in the 'Best New Artist' catagory at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York 9 September 1999 REUTERS/Jeff Christensen

Appropriately enough, his musical style on also harks back to an earlier era, with old-school samples of hip-hop pioneers such as EPMD, Schoolly D and Young MC offering touchstones from Eminem’s youth, while Rick Rubin’s presence amongst the production team provides a direct link to Def Jam days.

But ultimately, it’s all about Eminem himself, and nowhere more dynamically than in the berserk self-assessment “Offended”, where he asserts, amongst other things, that if the time he spent writing were taken into account, he’d be a minimum-wage slave – a faintly ludicrous claim, but immediately backed up by a bravura extended burst of rapid-rap babble that both explains and exemplifies his skills, and leaves one wondering not just how long it took to write, but how on earth he manages to pronounce such a polysyllabic torrent so perfectly.