Turns out Planet of the Apes was right: Monkeys can evolve.

Arctic Monkeys can, anyways. And you don't need to send Charlton Heston to the future to prove it. You just need to score a copy of the U.K. quartet's third album Humbug.

The band's most experimental and mature outing was recorded in the California desert and produced by none other than Josh Homme, the red-headed stepfather of Kyuss, Queens of the Stone Age, Eagles of Death Metal and, most recently, the supergroup Them Crooked Vultures with John Paul Jones and Dave Grohl.

As you might expect from the man behind albums like Lullabies to Paralyze and Death by Sexy, Homme gives the Monkeys extensive sonic surgery -- dosing their hyper post-punk with plenty of sedatives, stripping their spiky guitars down to the core, and covering everything with a thick, warm blanket of murky fuzz, dusty smoke, clanging reverb and hallucinatory psychedelics.

Fans of Homme and singer-guitarist Alex Turner's ambitious side project The Last Shadow Puppets will appreciate these seductive downtempo tracks and layered sonics. The old-schoolers who want their Monkeys bouncing off the walls might wish that damn dirty Homme had kept his stinking paws off their tunes. To them we say: Humbug.

My Propeller 3:28

"I can't hold down the urgency," croons singer-guitarist Alex Turner. Wanna bet? A measured tom-tom beat and some noirishly twangy guitars suggest otherwise.

Crying Lightning 3:42

The bassline is lightly fuzzy, the drums are slightly punchier and the guitars swoop, jangle, vibrate and ring -- but the groove is still decidedly midtempo. Hmm.

Dangerous Animals 3:24

Murkily funky and flecked with glitchy pinging reverb springs, this hypnotic low-rocker is the best example so far of how Homme has monkeyed with the Monkeys' sound.

Secret Door 3:41

One of two cuts produced by old mate James Ford, this lush orch-pop ballad is also one of the mellower and prettier cuts. Meanwhile, we're still waiting to rock out.

Potion Approaching 3:32

Finally! Spiky guitars, a driving beat and a testy vocal from Turner kick things up a notch -- until the slogging bridge, anyway. Homme paints around the edges with his stoner brush.

Fire and the Thud 3:50

Ethereal vocals from Allison Mosshart and a howling melody float over a relaxed backbeat and ghostly keyboards. The drums might thud a little, but there's more smoke than fire here.

Cornerstone 3:17

The acoustic guitar comes out for this ballad -- though any rootsiness is quickly overpowered by the layers of effects, instruments and Ford's atmospheric sonics.

Dance Little Liar 4:43

More thumpy tom-toms pound out a seductive bump and grind, while a reverb-soaked noir guitar slow-dances with Turner's distorted vocals. Sexy and sultry.

Pretty Visitors 3:40

Surprise! It's another upbeat number, set to a crashing go-go beat that shapeshifts into sludgy stoner-rock. Bonus points for the line: "What came first, the chicken or the d---head?"

The Jeweller's Hands 5:42

An unhurried, shadowy little hit of bass-heavy funk-pop with melancholy vocals. Not the most exciting way to close out the show. But perhaps the most fitting.