Evil Spirits (album)
{{Short description|Album by The Damned}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{Use British English|date=April 2018}}
{{Infobox album
| name = Evil Spirits
| type = studio
| artist = The Damned
| cover = Thedamnedevilspirits.jpeg
| alt =
| released = 13 April 2018
| recorded = November 2017
| venue =
| studio = Atomic Sound, Brooklyn, New York
| genre = {{flatlist|*Punk rock}}
| length = 41:06
| label = Search and Destroy, Spinefarm
| producer = Tony Visconti
| prev_title = So, Who's Paranoid?
| prev_year = 2008
| next_title = Black Is the Night: The Definitive Anthology
| next_year = 2019
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Evil Spirits
| type = studio
| single1 = Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow
| single1date = 19 January 2018
| single2 = Devil in Disguise
| single2date = March 2018
| single3 = Look Left
| single3date = March 2018
| single4 = Procrastination
| single4date = 9 April 2018
}}
}}
{{Album ratings
| MC = 75/100{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/music/evil-spirits/the-damned|title=Metacritic Review|publisher=Metacritic|access-date=23 August 2020}}
| rev1 = AllMusic
| rev1score = {{Rating|3.5|5}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/evil-spirits-mw0003148081|title=AllMusic Review|publisher=AllMusic|last=Deming|first=Mark|access-date=23 August 2020}}
| rev2 = Drowned in Sound
| rev2score = 7/10{{cite web|url=https://drownedinsound.com/releases/20297/reviews/4151746|title=Drowned in Sound Review|website=Drowned in Sound|last=Wydle|first=Nicoletta|date=20 April 2018|access-date=23 August 2020|archive-date=12 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200212061722/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/20297/reviews/4151746|url-status=dead}}
| rev3 = Exclaim!
| rev3score = 7/10{{cite web|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/the_damned-evil_spirits|title=Exclaim! Review|website=Exclaim!|last=Sylvester|first=Daniel|date=16 April 2018|access-date=23 August 2020}}
| rev4 = Louder Sound
| rev4Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.loudersound.com/reviews/the-damned-evil-spirits-album-review|title=The Damned – Evil Spirits album review|author=Chris Roberts |work=Louder Sound |access-date=13 April 2018}}
| rev5 = PopMatters
| rev5Score = {{rating|7|10}}{{cite web |url=https://www.popmatters.com/damned-evil-spirits-2558437089.html|title=The Last Punks Standing: The Damned Team With Bowie's Producer for 'Evil Spirits'|author=Ian Rushbury |work=PopMatters |access-date=9 April 2018}}
| rev6 = Slant Magazine
| rev6Score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite web |url=https://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/the-damned-evil-spirits|title=Evil Spirits |author=Zachary Hoskins |work=Slant Magazine |access-date=3 April 2018}}
}}
Evil Spirits is the eleventh studio album from the Damned. Released on 13 April 2018, it was their first album in ten years and was produced by famed producer Tony Visconti who is best known for his work with David Bowie. The album was largely crowdfunded by a successful PledgeMusic campaign.{{cite web|url=https://www.pledgemusic.com/projects/the-damned-new-album|title=The Damned: Evil Spirits|website=PledgeMusic}}{{cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-damned-evil-spirits-new-album-new-single-standing-on-the-edge-of-tomorrow-2225870|title=Listen to The Damned's new single as they announce first new album in 10 years - NME|date=22 January 2018|website=nme.com}}{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/evil-spirits-mw0003148081|title=Evil Spirits – The Damned – Songs, Reviews, Credits – AllMusic|website=AllMusic}}
Background
Captain Sensible said of the album: "we deliberately recorded the album retro style, the same way our debut album was made, basically. There's something wonderful about the seventies sounds; glam, rock and punk records, they all sound so great and Tony specializes in beautifully crafted old school production. He had us all playing live, bashing it out in the same room with a focus on getting the initial band version of each song as close as possible to the finished thing."{{Cite web|url=https://www.nme.com/news/music/the-damned-evil-spirits-new-album-new-single-standing-on-the-edge-of-tomorrow-2225870|title=Listen to The Damned's new single as they announce first new album in 10 years|last=Moore|first=Sam|date=2018-01-22|work=NME|access-date=2020-10-26}}
Reception
The album received some of the best reviews in years for the Damned. Zachary Hoskins of Slant Magazine said, "The Damned sounds like the same band they were 35 years ago. While it's admittedly hard not to miss the explosive presence of drummer Rat Scabies, Sensible's lashing power chords on "The Devil in Disguise" are a welcome reminder that this is still technically a punk band, and David Vanian's baritone has aged into a powerful growl reminiscent of latter-day Nick Cave. While Evil Spirits isn't a late-career masterpiece, Visconti's production chops have at least ensured a warm and rich listening experience." Ian Rushbury of PopMatters said, "Evil Spirits is a strong, weirdly timeless album. It's hard to pin this record down to a point in time – it certainly doesn't sound like 2018, but it sure as eggs are eggs doesn't sound like it's from 1978 either. It sounds like a band stretching out and having fun in a studio, under the watchful eye of someone who is accustomed to working with mavericks and outcasts." Evil Spirits became the band's first album to make the top 10 on the United Kingdom's Official Charts, peaking at number seven.{{Cite web|url=https://inews.co.uk/news/damned-punk-top-ten-album146487/|title=Punk legends The Damned finally score first top ten album after 41 years|last=Sherwin|first=Adam|date=2018-04-20|access-date=2018-04-21}}{{Cite web|url=http://hitsdailydouble.com/news&id=311465|title=U.K. CHARTS: HARRIS & LIPA SET A RECORD|last=Hits Daily Double|date=2018-04-20|access-date=2018-04-21}}
Track listing
{{Tracklist
|title1=Standing on the Edge of Tomorrow
|writer1=Dave Vanian
|length1=4:10
|title2=Devil in Disguise
|writer2={{hlist|Pinch|Pat Beers}}
|length2=4:31
|title3=We're So Nice
|writer3=Captain Sensible
|length3=4:09
|title4=Look Left
|writer4={{hlist|Pinch|Jon Priestley}}
|length4=4:43
|title5=Evil Spirits
|writer5=Sensible
|length5=3:54
|title6=Shadow Evocation
|writer6={{hlist|Vanian|Monty Oxymoron}}
|length6=4:10
|title7=Sonar Deceit
|writer7=Sensible
|length7=4:12
|title8=Procrastination
|writer8={{hlist|Oxymoron|Sensible}}
|length8=3:50
|title9=Daily Liar
|writer9={{hlist|Vanian|Sensible}}
|length9=5:55
|title10=I Don't Care
|writer10=Vanian
|length10=3:16
}}
Personnel
Credits adapted from the album's liner notes, except where noted.{{cite AV media notes|title=Evil Spirits |type=CD liner notes|others=The Damned|publisher=Search and Destroy / Spinefarm |year=2018}}
The Damned
- Dave Vanian – vocals
- Captain Sensible – guitar
- Monty Oxymoron – keyboards
- Paul Gray – bass
- Pinch – drums
Additional musicians
- Chris Coull – trumpet
- Kristeen Young – backing vocals{{cite web |url=https://www.facebook.com/OfficialDamned/posts/huge-thanks-to-kristeen-young-whos-amazing-vocals-feature-on-sonar-deceit-daily-/10155692010022852/|title=Huge thanks to Kristeen Young |author=OfficialDamned |work=Facebook |date= 18 April 2018|access-date=27 September 2020}}
Technical
- Tony Visconti – producer, mixing, backing vocals{{cite web |url=https://www.orcasound.com/2019/10/10/punk-rock-icons-the-damned-release-new-single-black-is-the-night/|title=Punk Rock Icons The Damned Release New Single, "Black Is The Night"|author=Press Release |work=OrcaSound.com |date= 10 October 2019|access-date=27 September 2020}}
- Kevin Killen – engineer
- Erin Tonkon – assistant engineer
- Joe LaPorta – mastering engineer
- Jez Larder – pre-production (Skyline Studios, Ashford, Surrey)
- Jon Priestley – pre-production (Abatis Studios, Honiley, Warwickshire)
- Mitchell Thomas – front cover design
- Laurence Thomas – front cover design
- Alex Tillbrook – additional artwork
- Shigeo Jones Kikuchi – photography
- Kurt Steinmetz – photography
- Steven Gullick – photography
- John Nikolai – photography
Charts
class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |
scope="col"| Chart (2018)
! scope="col"| Peak |
---|
{{album chart|Ireland|88|M|url=http://www.irma.ie/index.cfm?page=irish-charts&chart=Albums|title=Irish Albums Chart: 20 April 2018|publisher=Irish Recorded Music Association|rowheader=true|access-date=21 April 2018}} |
{{album chart|Scotland|5|date=20180420|rowheader=true|access-date=21 April 2018}} |
{{album chart|UK2|7|date=20180420|rowheader=true|access-date=21 April 2018}} |
References
{{Reflist}}
{{The Damned}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:The Damned (band) albums
Category:Albums produced by Tony Visconti