In the United States, the record has reached the Number One position on five Billboard charts: Top Album Sales, Vinyl Albums, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, and Top Alternative Albums. It also debuted at Number Four on the Billboard 200, the band’s second-highest placement ever, surpassed only by 1992’s Wish, which reached Number Two. Additionally, it became the top-selling physical album in the US, according to industry reports.

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Songs of a Lost World has been equally well-received in the UK. Earlier this month, the album debuted at Number One on the UK Albums Chart, making it the first Cure album to achieve this feat since Wish. The record has already been certified Silver in the UK, reflecting strong sales. This achievement solidifies The Cure’s enduring legacy in their home country, resonating strongly with both long-time fans and a new generation of listeners.

The band celebrated this milestone with a live performance at London’s Troxy, where they showcased the album in full alongside a 31-song setlist. The album’s release was accompanied by a live event at London’s Troxy, where the band performed a 31-song setlist, including the new album in its entirety. Two additional performances were held at the BBC Radio Theatre, which can be watched back here.

Reflecting on the album’s reception a post on the band’s Instagram, frontman Robert Smith expressed gratitude, saying, “It is enormously uplifting, genuinely heartwarming to experience such a wonderful reaction to the release of the new Cure album. To everyone who has bought it, listened to it, loved it, believed in us over the years – THANK YOU!”

 

 

 

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Smith has disclosed that the album’s themes are deeply personal, shaped by his experiences of loss, including the deaths of his parents and brother. The track I Can Never Say Goodbye specifically addresses the loss of his brother, while Smith credited his wife, Mary Poole Smith, with helping finalise the album’s tracklisting.

Critical reception for Songs of a Lost World has been overwhelmingly positive. NME awarded it five stars, describing it as “arguably the most personal album of Smith’s career,” adding: “mortality may loom, but there’s colour in the black and flowers on the grave.”

Looking ahead, The Cure have plans for extensive touring. Smith has confirmed that the band intends to begin a worldwide tour in 2025, with performances expected to continue through to their 50th anniversary in 2028. He also hinted in an interview with NME at the release of a second album, which is “virtually finished,” as well as a potential third album.

The announcement of ‘Alone’ has generated significant excitement among fans. The Cure has been teasing their comeback with hints and cryptic messages. The song will premiere on Mary Anne Hobbs’ BBC 6 Music radio show on September 26 and will be available on streaming platforms shortly after.

Robert Smith, the band’s frontman, has been discussing new material since at least 2019. In various interviews, he has mentioned that the band has been working on multiple albums over the past decade. ‘Alone’ has already become a fan favourite, having been performed live as the set opener during their recent tours since 2022.

ALONEhttps://t.co/Txrpm6P0dE pic.twitter.com/03DRindHiG

— The Cure (@thecure) September 21, 2024

The Cure’s last studio album, 4:13 Dream, was released in 2008. Their 1992 album Wish and 1989’s Disintegration are often cited as some of the best works in alternative rock, solidifying their legacy as one of the most influential bands of their era.

The marketing campaign for Songs of a Lost World has been intriguing, with Smith sharing a cryptic post that simply read, “And then…,” sparking widespread speculation. This was followed by the band’s official website being wiped clean and replaced with an email signup link. Fans in the UK received black postcards featuring the album title and a set of Roman numerals translating to the release date. Alongside “Alone,” other new tracks like ‘A Fragile Thing’, ‘Endsong’, ‘I Can Never Say Goodbye’, ‘And Nothing Is Forever,’ and ‘Another Happy Birthday’ have also been performed live, hinting at the rich musical tapestry that Songs of a Lost World promises to be.

 

 

 

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The album’s artwork, designed by long-time collaborator Andy Vella, continues the band’s tradition of visually compelling covers. Vella has been associated with The Cure since their 1981 single “Primary,” and his latest work for “Alone” is expected to be a visual treat, with the band having already posted grayscale rocky visuals in the promotional material.

In a 2022 interview with NME, Smith disclosed that the band has been working on two distinct records, with Songs of a Lost World being one of them. “So I’ve been working on two Cure albums, and one of them is finished,” Smith said in the interview, adding: “Unfortunately, it’s the second one that’s finished. On the other I’ve got to do four vocals, and there are 10 songs on each album. We’re mixing next month on April 1, so I’ve got three weeks left,” Smith explained.

The band have announced two upcoming shows, the first of which is slated for the Shacklewell Arms in Hackney on August 29. The five-piece last performed live in November 2022 in Paris, but an Instagram story posted by the band declared: “The Horrors are beginning again. The Horrors are never-ending.” And the band has explained that the East London venue was not simply chosen by accident to play host to the band’s long-awaited return.

“It’s 19 years since we played our first show as the Horrors, almost to the day. It was august 8th 2005 when we performed at the Spread Eagle in Old Street, at a night Tom and I put on called “Cramped”. We played for barely 15 minutes to about 30 of our friends,” singer Faris Badwan wrote on the band’s Instagram page.

“Now it’s 2024 and the Horrors are somehow still going. We return to the Shacklewell – the studio we built was next door and we had it all through Skying/Luminous so we’ve spent a lot of time there,” he continued.

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The second show is set for the following day, August 30, at the Brighton Psych Festival. Tickets for both shows can be found here.

Emerging from Southend-on-Sea in 2005, The Horrors have carved a niche in the UK music scene with their eclectic blend of gothic rock, post-punk revival, and shoegaze. The band, consisting of Faris Badwan (vocals), Joshua Hayward (guitar), Tom Furse (keyboards), Rhys Webb (bass), and Joe Spurgeon (drums), quickly became known for their dark, brooding sound and striking visual style.

Their debut album, Strange House (2007), was a raw, garage rock explosion that caught the attention of critics and fans alike. Tracks like “Sheena Is a Parasite” and “Count in Fives” showcased their frenetic energy and penchant for macabre themes. The album’s success saw them gracing the cover of NME and performing at major festivals, solidifying their place in the indie rock pantheon.

However, it was their sophomore effort, Primary Colours (2009), that truly marked a turning point. Produced by Geoff Barrow, the album saw The Horrors embracing a more expansive, psychedelic sound. Singles like “Sea Within a Sea” and “Who Can Say” demonstrated an experimental streak and earned the band a Mercury Prize nomination. Subsequent releases Skying (2011) and Luminous (2014) further explored lush, atmospheric soundscapes, while V (2017) introduced a more polished, synth-driven approach.

The band have not yet announced any further plan to play live beyond a show in Manchester on August 31, and have not indicated that any new music is forthcoming to follow their 2021 release Against the Blade.

The return of Rat Scabies, who replaces Will Taylor who left the band earlier this month, completes a line-up that has not performed together in a live setting since 1989, a full 35 years next December. The full line-up consists of lead singer Dave Vanian, who remains the only ever-present member of the group, guitarist Captain Sensible, bassist Paul Gray and, of course, drummer Rat Scabies.

The Damned UK Tour 2024
Performing for the first time in 35 years! With songs from The Black Album & Strawberries as well as all the classics and some surprises!
On sale this Friday at 10am
pic.twitter.com/plaih5r0wD

— The Damned (@thedamned) November 21, 2023

The tour, according to a post on X, will feature songs from The Black Album and Strawberries, along with “all the classics and some surprises!”. Fans of the cult punk and gothic rock outfit would be correct in being excited about what “surprises” might lay in store for next year’s tour, and may even expect brand new material given the tour will not kick off for another 13 months, possibly allowing the band time to creatively conjure up some new tracks.

Listen to “Neat Neat Neat“, a track from The Damned’s debut album, Damned Damned Damned, below:

The Damned, a London-based band formed in 1976, made a significant impact on the music scene with the release of their debut album, Damned Damned Damned, in 1977. They have gone on to cultivate a strong cult following as they transitioned from a raw punk style in the late 70s to a darker gothic approach in the 80s. The group have gone on to release a total of 12 albums, the latest of which, Darkadelic, was released earlier this year in April via earMUSIC.

Watch the music video for “Beware Of The Clown“, a song from The Damned’s latest release, Darkadelic, below:

See below for dates for next year’s tour:

04/12/2024 – NX – Newcastle
05/15 – Barrowlands – Glasgow
06/12 – Academy – Manchester
08/12 – O2 Academy – Leeds
09/12 – Rock City – Nottingham
10/12 – The Halls – Wolverhampton
12/12 – Beacon – Bristol
13/12 – O2 Guildhall – Southhampton
14/12 – Winter Garden – Eastbourne
16/12 – Corn Exchange – Cambridge
18/12 – Roundhouse – London

Tickets will go on general sale tomorrow (Friday 24th November) and will be available to purchase here.

You can purchase The Damned’s latest album, Darkadelic, here.

Hailed as the founders of goth rock, Christian Death are Los Angeles trio Maitri, Valor Kand and Ryan Paolilli.  The provocative band have earned themselves a reputation as fiercely confrontational towards organized religion and conventional morality over the years, from the time of their debut album Only Theatre of Pain in 1982.

This will not be the band’s first stint in the UK.  In the mid-Eighties, Christian Death moved to London, where they went on to record some of their most confrontational work, rife with the shock value that they have come to be known for.  There, they also put out single “Church of No Return”, a track that reached No. 12 on the UK Independant Chart and attracted mainstream attention for the band from the likes of MTV, VH1, Super Channel, the BBC and a host of other European broadcasting shows.  Meanwhile, during the same period in the USA, album releases like Sex and Drugs and Jesus Christ, whose album art included a polarizing image of Jesus Christ shooting heroin, incited burnings of the band’s material by Christian groups.

The controversy that has marked their careers has by no means slowed the band down.  2022 marked the release of Christian Death’s 17th studio album, Evil Becomes Rule, on which they hone their signature mix of gothic rock and post-punk.  Previous festival appearances for the band have included Hellfest Open Air and Cloak and Dagger Festival.

Check out the band performing “Romeo’s Distress” live:

You can find more details about Tomorrow’s Ghosts ‘Spring Gathering’, along with ticket info and the full lineup, here.