British Gothic Rock/Punk pioneers THE DAMNED continue to celebrate their adventurous musical career with a slew of releases this summer.

"Fiendish Shadows" captures the band's spirited live act with a recording from the "Phantasmagoria" era, just as the band began to experiment with more varied and darker music. For those unfamiliar with the band, THE DAMNED are everything anyone could want in a Punk band: energetic, defiant, and thoughtful, but still lots of fun at the same time (and British!) For the already-initiated, the album captures the band at the height of their powers as they seamlessly switch between raucous early classics ("Wait For The Blackout," "Smash It Up") and compelling hits from the second half of their career ("There'll Come A Day," "Grimly Fiendish").

It opens up with the wonderfully cinematic and engaging "Curtain Call (Part One)," whose space-y opening keyboards set the tone for things very nicely. THE DAMNED have a knack for staying entertaining no matter what speed they're playing at, and Dave Vanian's looming, commanding voice is equally suited for having a good time as it is being introspective. THE DAMNED have an extensive catalogue, and their set list for this show manages to show off their best traits as a band while keeping the audience more than entertained. Other great moments include their infectious cover of the ELECTRIC PRUNES' "I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night," "Disco Man," and "New Rose," the band's first single (and the first single ever released by a UK Punk group, to boot).

You get plenty of history and reminiscence with "Fiendish Shadows," but there's also tons of fun to be had across the album's fifteen tracks. The band deliver a great performance, with their instruments coming through loud and clear in the mix. It makes for a solid introduction to the band if you've never had the pleasure of hearing THE DAMNED in all their glory, but it's definitely worth a listen for longtime fans.
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