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Rating: Well, here's another nice little group that's come up with a new album of material.
I never loved the Damned to death, but I have always appreciated them. After all, we're talking about amusing jokers who reinvented punk, turned it into dark, gothic, psych, & even rock, so - how to say - they've left us with something good to listen to, many things often heavily underrated.
In this latest work, they revisit rock and make a nice basic rock without too much fuss, "à la Damned" of course, but I don't agree with those who said their unmistakable sound is felt: if it weren't for Dave Vanian singing, they could be anyone. There's a lot of guitar strumming (too much), but little voice from Captain Sensible and more keyboards from Mr. Oximoron compared to what we used to listen to.There are no masterpieces, no milestones, there are songs and little songs (some very little ones), all okay, all reasonably catchy, from "Danger to Yourself" to "Little Miss Disaster", passing through stuff that raises an eyebrow or two ("Dr. Woofenstein") to the 13-minute final pseudo-psychedelic romp ("Dark Asteroid") which still is listenable without cursing the moment you bought the record.
Overall, I agree with those who've rated it on the level of "Strawberries" (which is like saying we would have been fine without that one, let alone this one), and I definitely find it slightly more enjoyable than "It's alright.. etc" and "Grave Disorder". I would vote for them to continue their stage act until 2030, so I can go see them a couple more times, wishing them and myself long lives bolstered by an active old age, preferably without making more new stuff: I'm afraid it won't be that way, but oh well.
Do you like the Damned and have always liked them? Useless review because you'd have bought it anyway. For the others, non-fans, up to you. Bye.
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