Darkadelic
| Darkadelic | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 28 April 2023 | |||
| Studio | Kore Studios, Acton, London Broadfields Studios, Watford | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 48:27 | |||
| Label |
| |||
| Producer | Thomas Mitchener | |||
| The Damned chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Darkadelic | ||||
| ||||
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 79/100[4] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| The Arts Desk |   [1] |
| Blabbermouth.net | 8/10[5] |
| Classic Rock | [6] |
| Louder Than War | [2] |
| New Noise Magazine |  [7] |
| The Spill Magazine | [8] |
Darkadelic is the twelfth studio album by the British punk rock band the Damned,[9] released on 28 April 2023 by earMUSIC.[10]
Background
[edit]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
[edit]| 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 |
Personnel
[edit]Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[16]
The Damned
- Dave Vanian – vocals
- Captain Sensible – guitar, vocals (lead vocals on "Bad Weather Girl")
- Monty Oxymoron – keyboards
- Paul Gray – bass
- William Granville-Taylor – drums
Additional musicians
- Marty Love – backing vocals ("Bad Weather Girl")
- Don Jenkins – tambourine ("Beware of the Clown")
- Chris Coull – trumpet ("Western Promise", "Roderick")
- Emily Vanian – violin ("Roderick")
- Thomas Mitchener – EBow guitar ("Roderick")
Technical
- Thomas Mitchener – production, engineering, mixing
- Mark Knight – assistant (at Kore Studios)
- John Davis – mastering (at Metropolis Studios)
- Graham Humphreys – cover, layout
- David Read – 'A Damned Picture' globe
Charts
[edit]| 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 |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Album: The Damned – Darkadelic. The Arts Desk. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ a b Hodge, Jazz (26 April 2023). "The Damned: Darkadelic – review – Album of the Week 2". Louder Than War. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ Hutchings, Paul (24 April 2023). "The Damned return with Darkadelic: a Psychedelic and Gothic Masterpiece". Metal Talk. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ "Darkadelic by The Damned Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ Lawson, Dom (27 April 2023). "Reviews – Darkadelic". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ Hughes, Rob (28 April 2023). "The Damned: Darkadelic album review". Classic Rock. Retrieved 4 May 2023.
- ^ River, Julie (28 April 2023). "New Noise Magazine Review". New Noise Magazine. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ Badgley, Aaron (27 April 2023). "The Spill Magazine Review". The Spill Magazine. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ a b c d 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.
- ^ Brereton, Greta (4 February 2023). "The Damned announce new album 'Darkadelic', share new single 'The Invisible Man'". NME. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Moayeri, Lily (27 April 2023). "The Damned's Captain Sensible On Creating New Music: 'It's What We Do'". Spin. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
- ^ Damned to play majority of 'Darkadelic' on tour before LP release. Punknews. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Darkadelic (CD liner notes). The Damned. earMUSIC. 2023. 0217847EMU.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – The Damned – Darkadelic" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 May 2023.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 5 May 2023.
- ^ "Top Album Sales: Week of May 13, 2023". Billboard. Retrieved 10 May 2023.