New releases last four weeks: Punk/Hardcore

Review: Shadowed Tales From Mulhouse by iconic punk group The Damned is a haunting journey into the depths of musical darkness. The album captivates throughout with its eerie melodies, ethereal vocals, and brooding atmosphere. Each track exudes a sense of mystery and intrigue, drawing the audience into a world of shadows and secrets. The band's masterful instrumentation and haunting lyrics create a spine-chilling experience that lingers long after the final note fades away. All of this makes Shadowed Tales From Mulhouse is a testament to The Damned's prowess as musical storytellers, leaving listeners enthralled and eager for more from this enigmatic ensemble.

Review: Around the mid-nineties, pioneering gothic punks The Damned would see a resurgence in interest thanks to both Guns N Roses covering 'New Rose' for their The Spaghetti Incident? covers LP, as well as The Offspring's rendition of 'Smash It Up' being included on the Batman Forever soundtrack. These simultaneous introductions to a younger audience (whilst possibly also a reminder to forgetful fans), coincided with the band's second reformation, where they boasted the short-lived line up of Dave Vanian and Rat Scabies joined by Kris Dollimore (The Godfathers), Moose (New Model Army), and Alan Lee Shaw (Maniacs). Shadowed Tales From Mulhouse captures this iteration of the band during a 1994 live show in Mulhouse, France, where they would road-test cuts from the following year's Not Of This Earth, including 'Testify', 'Shut It', and the gloomy title-track, while also dusting off plenty of essentials from their back catalogue from 'Neat Neat Neat' to 'Noise Noise Noise' to a cover of their Sex Pistols peers' 'Pretty Vacant'.