:: Grave Disorder

The Damned

It was quite a shock when the US publicist sent me a copy of this album. It’s been more than twenty years since The Damned “graced” the stage. They were a punk band of the highest quality, being influences for many future bands that indulged in the genre. They seemed to be overshadowed by the movement of the time. But many years down the track, they seem to make it all sound easy. This album could easily fit alongside their many other works. The Damned has seen much happen since their heyday and acclimatise to the pop-dominated sounds of today. Their theatrical sound still has that darkness and charisma which was evident in their early recordings. Check out the arrangements to “Would You Be So Hot” and, in particular, “Neverland” – a somewhat cheesy organ and breakneck rhythm that slows momentarily in the middle and kicks back strongly. They pour scorn on the money-hungry Internet capitalists on the track “Song.com”. A couple of weaker moments come with “Thrill Kill”, lyrically light and annoying, whilst “Amen” could have been so much better. It has great backing harmonies, but the song doesn’t develop. Despite the patchy quality, there is still fun to be had. This surely will please hardcore fans and be a must for their collection. Interesting to note that this album has been released through Nitro Records, a label created by The Offspring’s Dexter Holland. There are still enough musical ideas in The Damned yet, and it will be interesting to observe their future forays. http://www.officialdamned.com