The Damned lineup has varied over the years, and this 2001 release features vocalist Dave Vanian and guitarist Captain Sensible—returning for the first studio album since 1982. Vanian's wife, former Gun Club member Patricia Morrison, handles bass, while ex–English Dogs member Pinch takes the drums from longtime drummer Rat Scabies. Former Punk Floyd member Monty Oxymoron adds keyboards for color. The moment when The Damned's music was new and unusual has passed, but the band is fully aware of this and doesn't use this reunion between Vanian and Sensible to revel in nostalgia. "Democracy?" shows the band's political will, and "W"—about President George W. Bush before 9/11—engages The Damned's political opinions. "Song.com" acknowledges the Internet. Vanian is in strong voice, and while Matt Bianco's production brings the drums way up in the mix, it also knows how important Vanian is to the group's identity. Anyone who fell in love with "Wait for the Blackout" will recognize the balance between pop, goth, and post-punk in songs like "Thrill Kill," "Would You Be So Hot (If You Weren't Dead?)," and "'Til the End of Time."