The Damned: A different perspective

Besides singer David Vanian's wardrobe, the Damned had a tremendous influence
on the early goth scene.  With their 1979 album Machine Gun Etiquette, which was
their third album, the band had displayed a change in their style: their music was
darker, more melodic, and heavily influenced by psychedelic music.  Their 1980
release the Black Album is a post-punk classic that expanded upon their previous
release; it is quintessentially gothic, complete with dark melodies and themes as well
as the influence of classical music, giving it a medieval element.  Their 1982 album
Strawberries doesn't really fit into the progression, as it is more of a pop affair than
anything else.  In 1985, they released Phantasmagoria, a pop/goth hybrid album
which is considered a classic in he history of goth.  The follow-up album Anything 
continues very much in the same vein of its predecessor; however, unlike
Phantasmagoria, it lacks the blatantly gothic imagery and artwork.  These last two
albums are hybrids of goth and pop, but they fit in more comfortably with the
contemporary (at the time, rather-- 1985-86) releases of goth-affiliated post-punk
bands such as the Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen, Siouxsie and the Banshees, the
Sisters of Mercy, and the Mission UK.