| Danse Macabre | ||||
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| Released | 27 October 2023 (2023-10-27) | |||
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| Length | 50:07 | |||
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| Duran Duran chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Danse Macabre | ||||
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Danse Macabre is the sixteenth studio album by the Englishpop rock bandDuran Duran. It was released on 27 October 2023 throughBMG and Tape Modern. AHalloween-themed album, the record includes three new tracks, covers, and reimagined versions of older Duran Duran material. Former guitaristsAndy Taylor andWarren Cuccurullo appear, making their first appearances on a Duran Duran LP since 2004'sAstronaut and 2000'sPop Trash, respectively.Nile Rodgers andVictoria De Angelis ofMåneskin also feature as guest artists.
On 20 March 2023, Duran Duran confirmed that they had an album slated for release later that year that would feature former guitaristAndy Taylor on a few select tracks.[2] Inspiration for theconcept album came from aHalloween show the band played inLas Vegas on 31 October 2022. As a result, singerSimon Le Bon stated that the record is "about a crazy Halloween party" and "supposed to be fun".[3] KeyboardistNick 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 playerJohn Taylor added that the album "offers an interesting insight into the personality of the band" with music that "packs a real punch".[4]
WhileDanse Macabre had already been available for pre-order in mid-August 2023, it was not officially announced until 30 August.[5] 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".[6] Produced by the band, Josh Blair andMr Hudson, the set of songs includes six covers—Billie Eilish's "Bury a Friend",Cerrone's "Supernature",the Rolling Stones' "Paint It Black",Siouxsie and the Banshees' "Spellbound",the Specials' "Ghost Town", andTalking Heads' "Psycho Killer"—[7][8] 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", amashup of the band's own "Lonely in Your Nightmare" (1982) and "Super Freak" byRick James.[9][10]
On 13 September 2024, an expanded version of the album titledDanse Macabre De Luxe was announced. The CD, digital and Blu-ray versions include three new tracks: "Masque of the Pink Death", an instrumental; a cover of theElectric Light Orchestra's "Evil Woman"; and a remake of the band's 1984 single "New Moon on Monday", retitled "New Moon (Dark Phase)". A vinyl box set additionally includes two more instrumentals and a spoken word piece.[11][12]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.8/10[13] |
| Metacritic | 72/100[14] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] |
| American Songwriter | [15] |
| The Arts Desk | [16] |
| Clash | 7/10[17] |
| Evening Standard | [18] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 7/10[19] |
| Mojo | [9] |
| musicOMH |  [20] |
| Record Collector | [10] |
| Under the Radar | 7.5/10[21] |
Danse Macabre was met with generally favourable reviews frommusic critics. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received anaverage score of 72, based on nine reviews.[14] The aggregator AnyDecentMusic? has the critical consensus of the album at a 6.7 out of 10, also based on seven reviews.[13]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine in his review forAllMusic stated: "the charm ofDanse Macabre lies in how Duran Duran seem unencumbered by expectations: they're lying back and having a good time, resulting in a record that captures their silly and serious sides in equal measure.[1] Tina Benitez-Eves ofAmerican Songwriter praised the album, saying "whatever its brew, at its core,Danse Macabre is Duran Duran, 40-plus years later, sounding their best".[15] Simon Heavisides ofThe 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".[19] Emma Harrison ofClash 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".[17]
Record Collector felt that "for all its dark themes [...] the main aim is ghoulish fun", concluding that "a mixed (body) bag it may be, butDanse Macabre is a fiendishly fun collection that only the undead would remain unmoved by".[10] Ben Hogwood ofMusicOMH 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".[20]Mojo remarked that "no new ground is broken, but everyone emerges unscathed".[9] Guy Oddy ofThe Arts Desk wrote: "anyone expecting a reworked film soundtrack toThe Texas Chain Saw Massacre might be advised to lower their expectations".[16]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Nightboat" | Duran Duran, 1981 | 4:23 | |
| 2. | "Black Moonlight" (featuringNile Rodgers) |
| Original song | 3:06 |
| 3. | "Love Voudou" |
| Duran Duran, 1993 | 4:29 |
| 4. | "Bury a Friend" | Billie Eilish, 2019 | 3:04 | |
| 5. | "Supernature" |
| Cerrone, 1977 | 3:44 |
| 6. | "Danse Macabre" |
| Original song | 4:22 |
| 7. | "Secret Oktober 31st" |
| Duran Duran, 1983 | 4:22 |
| 8. | "Ghost Town" | Jerry Dammers | The Specials, 1981 | 3:00 |
| 9. | "Paint It Black" | Jagger–Richards | The Rolling Stones, 1966 | 2:38 |
| 10. | "Super Lonely Freak" |
| Duran Duran, 1982 / Rick James, 1981 | 4:27 |
| 11. | "Spellbound" | Siouxsie and the Banshees, 1981 | 3:27 | |
| 12. | "Psycho Killer" (featuringVictoria De Angelis) | Talking Heads, 1977 | 4:25 | |
| 13. | "Confession in the Afterlife" |
| Original song | 4:33 |
| Total length: | 50:00 | |||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Original artist | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Masque of the Pink Death" (instrumental) |
| Original song | 3:17 |
| 2. | "Nightboat" |
| Duran Duran, 1981 | 4:23 |
| 3. | "Black Moonlight" (featuring Nile Rodgers) |
| Original song | 3:06 |
| 4. | "Love Voudou" |
| Duran Duran, 1993 | 4:29 |
| 5. | "Bury a Friend" |
| Billie Eilish, 2019 | 3:04 |
| 6. | "Supernature" |
| Cerrone, 1977 | 3:44 |
| 7. | "Evil Woman" | Jeff Lynne | Electric Light Orchestra, 1975 | 3:50 |
| 8. | "Danse Macabre" |
| Original song | 4:22 |
| 9. | "Secret Oktober 31st" |
| Duran Duran, 1983 | 4:22 |
| 10. | "Ghost Town" | Dammers | The Specials, 1981 | 3:00 |
| 11. | "Paint It Black" |
| The Rolling Stones, 1966 | 2:38 |
| 12. | "Super Lonely Freak" |
| Duran Duran, 1982 / Rick James, 1981 | 4:27 |
| 13. | "New Moon (Dark Phase)" |
| Duran Duran, 1983 | 4:03 |
| 14. | "Spellbound" |
| Siouxsie and the Banshees, 1981 | 3:27 |
| 15. | "Psycho Killer" (featuring Victoria De Angelis) |
| Talking Heads, 1977 | 4:25 |
| 16. | "Confession in the Afterlife" |
| Original song | 4:33 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Evil Woman" | Lynne | 3:50 |
| 2. | "New Moon (Dark Phase)" |
| 4:03 |
| 3. | "Spooky" (instrumental) | Mike Shapiro, Harry Middlebrooks Jr., James Cobb, Buddy Buie | |
| 4. | "The Visitor" (instrumental) | ||
| 5. | "Instructions for a Séance" (spoken word) | ||
| 6. | "Masque of the Pink Death" (instrumental) |
| 3:17 |
| 7. | "Dialogues of the Dead" (instrumental) |
Duran Duran
Additional musicians
Technical
| Chart (2023) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[24] | 17 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[25] | 22 |
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[26] | 8 |
| Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[27] | 31 |
| Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[28] | 34 |
| French Albums (SNEP)[29] | 88 |
| German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[30] | 14 |
| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ)[31] | 24 |
| Italian Albums (FIMI)[32] | 9 |
| Japanese Digital Albums (Oricon)[33] | 42 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP)[34] | 24 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[35] | 5 |
| Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[36] | 56 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[37] | 12 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[38] | 4 |
| UK Independent Albums (OCC)[39] | 2 |
| USBillboard 200[40] | 57 |
| USTop Album Sales (Billboard)[41] | 6 |