D-A-D – Dic.nii.lan.daft.erd.ark (Deluxe Edition)

D-A-D first came to prominence outside their native Denmark when it was reported that the mighty Walt Disney corporation had threatened to sue their young asses unless they changed the band’s original name – Disneyland After Dark:  it was not that the quartet had deliberately set out to court controversy by seeking to antagonize the entertainment conglomerate, but the publicity certainly didn’t do them any harm… Fortunately, the now re-monickered outfit could also boast spade loads of musical ability, as their breakthrough, landmark third album ‘No Fuel Left For Pilgrims’ proved:  it’s an album that, almost a quarter of a century later, is quite rightly regarded as a classic (and one of my favourites, it must be admitted), treading as it did the fine line between melodic sleaze rock and proto-cowpunk (a genre now attracting renewed attention thanks to the global success of D-A-D’s countrymen, Volbeat).

The band’s 11^th album, ‘Dic.nii.lan.daft.erd.ark’ is a cheeky reference to that initial hiccough in their career, and, when released at the tail end of 2011, symbolized a re-invigorated D-A-D, after a couple of disappointing releases in the first decade of the 21^st century:  it also represented a landmark for the group, as it spawned their first ever single, ‘I Want What’s She’s Got’… it’s an album filled with gritty performances, groove-laden, sleaze-riddled hooks and memorable melodies, with vocalist Jesper Binzer in particular delivering one of his best performances in many years.

Now, less than 18 months later, ‘Dic.nii.lan.daft.erd.ark’ has been given a lush makeover to mark the band’s signing with new label AFM Records.  On top of the original album, we are treated to acoustic versions of five of its tracks, as well as ten tracks recorded live on the subsequent tour.  The former are interesting curios (as I tend to find most ‘bonus’ features of this ilk), which serve to highlight Binzer’s husky, rasping vocal – and also bring a bluegrass/country texture to the selected toons (especially the jaunty ‘The End’) – with the stripped-back approach to ‘Last Time In Neverland’ giving it an added streak of vitriol, while the live section captures the renewed vigour of the album, albeit with a much heavier feel, showing a band both comfortable with and confident in their current situation.

Track list:

1. A New Age Moving In
2. I Want What She’s Got
3. The End
4. Fast On Wheels
5. The Place Of The Heart
6. Last Time In Neverland
7. Breaking Them Heart By Heart
8. We All Fall Down
9. Wild Thing In The Woods
10. Can’t Explain What It Means
11. Drag Me To The Curb
12. Your Lips Are Sealed
13. I Want What She’s Got (Acoustic)
14. The End (Acoustic)
15. A New Age Moving In (Acoustic)
16. Last Time In Neverland (Acoustic)
17. The Place Of The Heart (Acoustic)
18. A New Age Moving In (Live)
19. Jihad (Live)
20. The End (Live)
21. Everything Glows (Live)
22. Ridin’ With Sue (Live)
23. Monster Philosophy (Live)
24. We All Fall Down (Live)
25. Last Time In Neverland (Live)
26. I Want What She’s Got (Live)
27. God’s Favourite (Live)
28. The Place Of The Heart (Live)

‘Dic.nii.lan.daft.erd.ark’ is out now on AFM Records.

Check out the band’s official website, http://www.d-a-d.dk/, or follow them on Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/d.landafterdark