Darkadelic

Last updated
Darkadelic
The Damned - Darkadelic.png
Studio album by
the Damned
Released28 April 2023
StudioKore Studios, Acton, London
Broadfields Studios, Watford
Genre
Length48:27
Label
Producer Thomas Mitchener
The Damned chronology
Evil Spirits
(2018)		Darkadelic
(2023)
Singles from Darkadelic
  1. "The Invisible Man"
    Released: 3 February 2023
  2. "Beware of the Clown"
    Released: 10 March 2023
  3. "You're Gonna Realise"
    Released: 21 April 2023
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic 79/100 [4]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts Desk Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [1]
Blabbermouth.net 8/10 [5]
Classic Rock Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Louder Than War Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
New Noise Magazine Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Spill MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [8]

Darkadelic is the twelfth studio album by the British punk rock band the Damned, [9] released on 28 April 2023 by earMUSIC. [10]

Contents

Background

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]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Invisible Man" Dave Vanian, Paul Gray 3:10
2."Bad Weather Girl" Captain Sensible, Gray4:49
3."You're Gonna Realise"Vanian2:36
4."Beware of the Clown"Sensible3:14
5."Western Promise"Vanian4:26
6."Wake the Dead"Sensible, Martin Newell 5:22
7."Follow Me"Sensible, Gray3:18
8."Motorcycle Man"Gray4:45
9."Girl I'll Stop at Nothing"Sensible5:08
10."Leader of the Gang"Sensible4:18
11."From Your Lips"Vanian3:31
12."Roderick"Vanian3:50

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes. [16]

The Damned

Additional musicians

Technical

Charts

Chart performance for Darkadelic
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

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References

  1. 1 2 Album: The Damned – Darkadelic. The Arts Desk . 27 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  2. 1 2 Hodge, Jazz (26 April 2023). "The Damned: Darkadelic – review – Album of the Week 2". Louder Than War . Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  3. ↑ Hutchings, Paul (24 April 2023). "The Damned return with Darkadelic: a Psychedelic and Gothic Masterpiece". Metal Talk. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  4. ↑ "Darkadelic by The Damned Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic . Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  5. ↑ Lawson, Dom (27 April 2023). "Reviews – Darkadelic". Blabbermouth.net . Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  6. ↑ Hughes, Rob (28 April 2023). "The Damned: Darkadelic album review". Classic Rock . Retrieved 4 May 2023.
  7. ↑ River, Julie (28 April 2023). "New Noise Magazine Review". New Noise Magazine . Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  8. ↑ Badgley, Aaron (27 April 2023). "The Spill Magazine Review". The Spill Magazine. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 Punk Icons The Damned Return With Darkadelic, Weigh in On Banning Artists With 'Sh-t Stuff in Their Lives'. Billboard . 4 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  10. ↑ Brereton, Greta (4 February 2023). "The Damned announce new album 'Darkadelic', share new single 'The Invisible Man'". NME . Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  11. ↑ Album reviews: From Jessie Ware's That! Feels Good! to The Lottery Winners' Anxiety Replacement Therapy. Belfast Telegraph . 28 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  12. ↑ The Damned release new single and video 'You're Gonna Realise' from new album Darkadelic. Music-News.com. 23 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  13. 1 2 Moayeri, Lily (27 April 2023). "The Damned's Captain Sensible On Creating New Music: 'It's What We Do'". Spin . Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  14. ↑ Damned to play majority of 'Darkadelic' on tour before LP release. Punknews. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  15. ↑ The National borrow Taylor Swift, The Damned tear into Gary Glitter – the week's best albums. The Telegraph . 28 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  16. ↑ Darkadelic (CD liner notes). The Damned. earMUSIC. 2023. 0217847EMU.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  17. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Damned – Darkadelic" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  18. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  19. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  20. ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
  21. ↑ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
  22. ↑ "Top Album Sales: Week of May 13, 2023". Billboard . Retrieved 10 May 2023.
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