The Damned are dead. Well… that’s what people have been saying. When a band hasn’t released any new material for over a decade and begin touring for their anniversary, it’s easy to believe that this is the end. The Damned’s last album So, Who’s Paranoid? was their tenth release and admittedly that’s a nice even number to bow out on. But, thankfully, The Damned aren’t done.
Revisiting the Legacy of Britain's Most Prolific Punks
Evil Spirits enabled The Damned to team up with the highly respected producer Tony Visconti for the first time. Visconti’s work with Bowie and Bolan helped shape the sound of the ’70s. It’s hard to understand why this partnership hasn’t happened before and they seem to match better than whiskey and coke. For instance, tracks like ‘Sonar Deceit’ contains so many layers of detail that one listen will not suffice.
Of course, the credit also goes to The Damned’s songwriters Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible joined by keyboardist Monty Oxymoron and drummer Pinch. Each song has its own shape, colour and message like ‘Procrastination’, a relatable song about something that seems so relevant today.
Although The Damned are often referred to as first gen punk, they have always marched to the beat of their own drum. Evil Spirits sounds like classic Damned, probably helped by the return of their bassist Paul Grey who played during The Black Album era. For instance, ‘The Devil In Disguise’ contains the many trademark elements; shadowy undertones, Sensible’s signature guitar and Dave Vanian’s unforgettable coo. Yet, in true Damned fashion, it doesn’t sound like anything we’ve heard from them before.
Evil Spirits ends the way it begins- cinematically. ‘Standing On The Edge Of Tomorrow’ opens the record on a hopeful battle cry while ‘I Don’t Care’ is like closing time in a clandestine bar. Violins, Vanian and piano- what more do you need? Everything about this record is considered despite spending a nine-day stint in Brooklyn’s Atomic Sound.
Evil Spirits fits into The Damned discography like a sock fits a foot. But, it also stands out as something very 2018 and timeless at the same time. Although it has been ten years in between albums, this release makes it worth the wait. Ten songs of shadowy, exhaustive music crafted by true pioneers. The band aren’t dead, they’re The Damned.
Stand Out Track: I Don't Care
1 Comment
Great review. And I love That Damned album cover.