Darkadelic | ||||
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Studio album by | ||||
Released | 28 April 2023 | |||
Studio | Kore Studios, Acton, London Broadfields Studios, Watford | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 48:27 | |||
Label |
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Producer | Thomas Mitchener | |||
The Damned chronology | ||||
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Singles from Darkadelic | ||||
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Aggregate scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 79/100 [4] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
The Arts Desk | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Blabbermouth.net | 8/10 [5] |
Classic Rock | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Louder Than War | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
New Noise Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Spill Magazine | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Darkadelic is the twelfth studio album by the British punk rock band the Damned, [9] released on 28 April 2023 by earMUSIC. [10]
The album's title has been described as recognising the Damned's "influence as a pioneering goth band and interest in psychedelia". [11] Darkadelic is the first and only album by the Damned to feature drummer William Granville-Taylor after he replaced Pinch, who left the band in 2019. [12]
For Darkadelic, the Damned teamed up with producer Thomas Mitchener, formerly of the bands Haunts and Spycatcher, because he was, as guitarist Captain Sensible put it, a "purveyor of the '70s sound" they were going for on the album. [13] Singer Dave Vanian stated that, for him, "the only criteria was to have this album driven by more pronounced guitars." [9]
Prior to recording, Sensible and Granville-Taylor spent time working out arrangements for the tracks. "We actually sat down and we listened to a few Beatles songs, 'cause the songs were so beautifully arranged on those," Sensible said. "We really arranged the drums for what's right for the song. There was a lot of brainstorming during those two weeks of laying down the basic tracks." [9]
Prior to its release, the majority of the album was played during shows by the Damned on their April 2023 tour of the United Kingdom. [14]
The track "Leader of the Gang" is based on the crimes of former glam rock star Gary Glitter. [15] "Follow Me" is about influencers, and "Beware of the Clown" deals with politicians. [13] "Wake the Dead" was written specifically to be played at funerals. Through his online activity, Sensible had become aware that Damned songs were being played at fans' funerals. "So I thought, 'Well, they're playing these songs 'cause the deceased love the band. Why not write one actually for that purpose?" [9]
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Invisible Man" | Dave Vanian, Paul Gray | 3:10 |
2. | "Bad Weather Girl" | Captain Sensible, Gray | 4:49 |
3. | "You're Gonna Realise" | Vanian | 2:36 |
4. | "Beware of the Clown" | Sensible | 3:14 |
5. | "Western Promise" | Vanian | 4:26 |
6. | "Wake the Dead" | Sensible, Martin Newell | 5:22 |
7. | "Follow Me" | Sensible, Gray | 3:18 |
8. | "Motorcycle Man" | Gray | 4:45 |
9. | "Girl I'll Stop at Nothing" | Sensible | 5:08 |
10. | "Leader of the Gang" | Sensible | 4:18 |
11. | "From Your Lips" | Vanian | 3:31 |
12. | "Roderick" | Vanian | 3:50 |
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [16]
The Damned
Additional musicians
Technical
Chart (2023) | Peak position |
---|---|
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [17] | 35 |
Scottish Albums (OCC) [18] | 6 |
UK Albums (OCC) [19] | 9 |
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [20] | 4 |
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC) [21] | 1 |
US Top Album Sales ( Billboard ) [22] | 75 |
The Damned are an English rock band formed in London in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist Captain Sensible and drummer Rat Scabies. They were the first punk band from the United Kingdom to release a single, "New Rose" (1976), release a studio album, Damned Damned Damned (1977) and tour the United States. Nine of the band's singles charted on the UK Singles Chart Top 40.
Strawberries is the fifth studio album by English rock band the Damned. It was released in October 1982 by record label Bronze. Limited editions included a strawberry-scented lyric insert. The album reached No. 15 in the UK charts, the band's first to reach the Top 20.
Machine Gun Etiquette is the third studio album by English punk rock band the Damned, released on 9 November 1979 by Chiswick Records. The album peaked at No. 31 on the UK Charts
Not of This Earth is the eighth studio album by The Damned, released on 11 November 1995. It is often called I'm Alright Jack & The Beanstalk.
Grave Disorder is the ninth studio album from the British punk rock band the Damned, released on 21 August 2001. It was their first release since signing to Nitro Records and only studio album with Patricia Morrison.
The Black Album is the fourth studio album by British punk rock band the Damned, and the first to feature Paul Gray on bass guitar. It was released on 3 November 1980 by Chiswick as a double album, with "Curtain Call" filling the whole of side 3, and a selection of live tracks recorded at Shepperton Studios at a special concert for Damned fan club members on side 4. The album peaked at No. 29 on the UK Charts.
Phantasmagoria is the sixth album by English rock band the Damned, released by MCA in July 1985. Special editions were available on white vinyl or picture disc; some versions included a free 12-inch of their No. 3 hit "Eloise". It is the first album by the band without original member Captain Sensible, and was a style shift to gothic rock compared to the band's punk sound of its early career.
"Little Miss Disaster" is a song by punk rock band the Damned, released 1 December 2005 on their own Lively Arts label. It was the band's first single release since "Shut It" in 1996.
"Thanks for the Night" is a single by English punk rock band the Damned, released in May 1984.
"Love Song" is a single by English punk rock band the Damned, released in April 1979. It was the first fruit of the reformed lineup's deal with Chiswick Records, boosted by four variant picture sleeves, each one featuring a member of the band, with an additional 20,000 copies pressed on red vinyl. It was the Damned's first top 40 hit, peaking at number 20 in the UK Singles Chart, and leading to the band's debut on Top of the Pops.
"I Just Can't Be Happy Today" is a song by English punk rock band the Damned from their 1979 album, Machine Gun Etiquette. Released as a single in November on Chiswick Records, it peaked at No. 46 in the UK Singles Chart.
"There Ain't No Sanity Clause" is a single by English rock band the Damned, released on 24 November 1980.
"Is It a Dream?" is a single by English rock band the Damned, released in September 1985 by MCA Records.
Music for Pleasure is the second studio album by English punk rock band the Damned. It was released on 18 November 1977 by Stiff Records. The album failed to chart in the UK.
So, Who's Paranoid is the tenth studio album by English punk rock band the Damned. Released in November 2008, it was their first album in seven years. It was funded by the band themselves and released on their English Channel label. Musically, the album largely draws from the band's 1980s gothic rock sound.
Evil Spirits is the eleventh studio album from the Damned. Released on 13 April 2018, it was their first album in ten years and was produced by famed producer Tony Visconti who is best known for his work with David Bowie. The album was largely crowdfunded by a successful PledgeMusic campaign.
Black is the Night: The Definitive Anthology is a 2-CD, career-spanning compilation album by the British punk rock band the Damned, released on 1 November 2019. It collects tracks from most of the band's studio albums between 1977 and 2018, as well as selected non-album singles and B-sides. It also includes the new track "Black Is the Night". Of the band's eleven studio albums to date, Not of This Earth (1995) and So, Who's Paranoid? (2008) are not represented on the anthology. All tracks were chosen by the band themselves, and sequenced thematically instead of chronologically.
The Rockfield Files is a four-track EP by English rock band the Damned, released on 16 October 2020. It was released by London-based label Search and Destroy in a joint venture with Spinefarm Records. The EP marks the last recording with longtime drummer Pinch, who left the band in late 2019. The title is a reference to the 1970s American television series The Rockford Files.
A Night of a Thousand Vampires: Live in London is a live album and concert film by English rock band the Damned, released on 28 October 2022 through earMUSIC. It was released as a 2- CD/1-Blu-ray set and various two-LP gatefolds. The film premiered as part of FrightFest Halloween on 27 October 2022 at Cineworld Leicester Square in London. It was recorded and filmed for a special one-off musical and theatrical performance billed as A Night of a Thousand Vampires at the London Palladium on 28 October 2019. Directed by Martin Gooch, the concert film features the cast of The Circus of Horrors performing alongside the Damned. The live show marked the final gig of drummer Andrew 'Pinch' Pinching after 20 years with the band.
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