The October Hit Parade marches on.....

The Damned are one of the bigger bands to come out of the first wave of UK punk groups, and while they don’t get the attention of The Sex Pistols or The Clash they should. They started off as your fast, loud fun punk group and over time have evolved through several line-ups and sounds. For those interested in their horror tunes it is the 1980’s era of the band where they recorded most of the tunes that fall into the genre. Singer Dave Vanian has always had a vampiric image that lead many people to associate the band with horror and Goth music, and he seems to be the driving force behind their horror related tunes. The songs that I am thinking of here include: Plan 9 Channel 7, Rabid (Over You), 13th Floor Vendetta, Dr. Jeckel & Mr. Hyde, Dead Beat Dance, and Grimly Fiendish. What I like best about The Damned’s horror tunes is that it’s not overly serious, it’s not menacing, and of course Vanian's croon which give the songs their spooky vibe. There aren’t many punk bands of any era that have a vocalist like Vanian. At one point there was talk of a Damned cd comp containing only their horror tunes, but I have not heard any mention of such a project in several years.Coming October 10th: Mourning Noise