Darkadelic

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Darkadelic
Studio album by
the Damned
Released28 April 2023
StudioKore Studios, Acton, London
Broadfields Studios, Watford
Genre
Length48:27
Label
ProducerThomas 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
Metacritic79/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts Desk[1]
Blabbermouth.net8/10[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.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."The Invisible Man"Dave Vanian, Paul Gray3:10
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 Newell5:22
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[edit]

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

The Damned

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 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

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Album: The Damned – Darkadelic. The Arts Desk. 27 April 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2023.
  2. ^ a b 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. ^ 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.
  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. ^ 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.
  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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