Danse Macabre (Duran Duran album)

Danse Macabre (Duran Duran album)
Danse Macabre is the sixteenth studio album by the British band Duran Duran. It was released on 27 October 2023 through BMG and Tape Modern. A Halloween-themed album, the record includes three new tracks, covers and reimagined versions of older Duran Duran material. Former guitarists Andy Taylor and Warren Cuccurullo appear, making their first appearances on a Duran Duran LP since 2004's Astronaut and 2000's Pop Trash, respectively. Nile Rodgers and Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin also feature as guest artists.
Background and composition
On 20 March 2023, Duran Duran confirmed that they had an album slated for release later that year that would feature former guitarist Andy Taylor on a few select tracks. Inspiration for the concept album came from a Halloween show the band played in Las Vegas on 31 October 2022. As a result, singer Simon Le Bon stated that the record is "about a crazy Halloween party" and "supposed to be fun". Keyboardist Nick Rhodes revealed that the project "metamorphosed through a pure, organic process" and was made faster than anything they had done ever since their debut album. He also explained that the result is something they could not predict, citing the band's core elements—"emotion, mood, style and attitude"—as the essence of the album. It was summarised as "the soundtrack to their ultimate Halloween party". Founding member and bass player John Taylor added that the album "offers an interesting insight into the personality of the band" with music that "packs a real punch".
While Danse Macabre had already been available for preorder in mid-August 2023, it was not officially announced until 30 August. The lead single of the same name was released the same day. According to Rhodes the song was intended to celebrate "the joy and madness of Halloween". Produced by the band, Josh Blair and Mr Hudson, the set of songs includes covers of Billie Eilish, the Rolling Stones, Siouxsie and the Banshees and Talking Heads, and remakes of three older Duran Duran songs: 1981's "Night Boat", 1983's "Secret Oktober" (as "Secret Oktober 31st") and 1993's "Love Voodoo" renamed "Love Voudou". It also features "Super Lonely Freak", a stylistic merge of the band's own "Lonely In Your Nightmare" (1982) and "Super Freak" by Rick James.
Critical reception
Danse Macabre received a score of 66 out of 100 on review aggregator Metacritic based on five critics' reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reception. Simon Heavisides of The Line of Best Fit stated that the album's "aesthetic avoids a cartoon rendering of that most spooky of seasons and instead leans into a cool darkness" and found it to be "a stylish, warm-hearted album with a sense of humour" that "takes a few risks and seeks to entertain". Clashs Emma Harrison wrote that "every track can be listened to in isolation, but by listening to the album chronologically, you can see how the band are using music to achieve a balance between dark and light".
Record Collector felt that "for all its dark themes [...] the main aim is ghoulish fun", concluding that "a mixed (body) bag it may be, but Danse Macabre is a fiendishly fun collection that only the undead would remain unmoved by". Ben Hogwood of MusicOMH wrote that "perhaps not surprisingly the new material fares best" and the band's "fan base will lap it up readily, but ultimately the feeling is that of being tricked rather than treated". Mojo remarked that "no new ground is broken, but everyone emerges unscathed".
Track listing
Personnel
Duran Duran
Simon Le Bon – vocals, production
Nick Rhodes – keyboards, production
John Taylor – bass, production (all tracks); guitar (track 6)
Roger Taylor – drums, production
Andy Taylor – guitar (1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
Additional musicians
Anna Ross – backing vocals
Rachael O'Connor – backing vocals
Joshua Blair – percussion (1–7, 9–12), strings (1, 3, 4, 7, 12, 13), guitar (4), piano (9, 13), synthesizer (10)
Nile Rodgers – guitar (2, 5)
Nate Merchant – bass, drum programming, programming (3–12)
Warren Cuccurullo – guitar (3, 6)
Alexandra AStama – backing vocals (3)
Mr Hudson – loops (6), guitar (13)
Simon Willescroft – saxophone (8, 10)
Johnny Thirkell – flugelhorn (8)
Dominic Brown – guitar (12, 13)
Victoria De Angelis – bass (12)
Technical
Joshua Blair – production, engineering
Nile Rodgers – production (2)
Mr Hudson – production (6, 13)
Bob Clearmountain – mixing
John Webber – engineering
Andy Taylor – engineering (1, 2, 5–12)
Richard Woodcraft – engineering (1, 12)
Ed Farrell – engineering (2, 3, 5–13)
Billy Halliday – engineering (3, 5, 7–12)
John X. Volaitis – engineering (3, 6)
Russell Graham – engineering (5)
Phil Kemp – instrument technician (1, 2, 5, 12, 13)
Kevin Bell – instrument technician (2, 5, 8–13)
Charts
References
External links
2023 albums
BMG Rights Management albums
Duran Duran albums
Halloween albums
Concept albums
Covers albums