Two years on from the mesmeric Nell' Ora Blu, their synth-laden soundtrack for an imaginary Giallo movie, orphic Cambridge heavies Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats return with their seventh full-length, Shapes Of Midnight. A brilliantly macabre concept album partly inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's The Masque Of The Red Death and the too-real nightmares of our modern age, Shapes Of Midnight refines the group's "Evil Beatles" sound: A thrilling, expertly composed fusion of eerie harmonies, pop hooks, Thin Lizzy-esque twin-guitar brilliance, and the kind of fleet-footed heaviness that's become their trademark.
Shapes Of Midnight was tracked at Abbey Road Studios — live to analogue tape, natch — in a blessed, three-day blitz in the company of storied engineer Chris Bolster, whose previous clients include Phil Spector, Ozzy Osbourne, and Paul McCartney. The band employed era-appropriate tech, from antique Neumann mics once breathed upon by the Fabs and the Floyd, to consoles and compressors from the peak era of recorded sound. The mastering, meanwhile, was completed by Grammy-nominated engineer Noel Summerville (The White Stripes, The Clash, My Bloody Valentine).
The album marks a return to the guitar-forward attack of their earlier records, but also an evolution. Their blessed invocation of proto-metal heaviness is gilded by blasts of uncanny melancholic pop, bruising NWOBHM gallop, jazzy textures and complexities, and Krautrock-y cro-magnon synth damage. It's a deliciously dark listen, for sure; as songwriter Kevin Starrs says, "Our albums exist in an alternate universe to our own. They're all stories that could happen here, but everything's just a bit 'off.’"
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats spent their summer laying waste to festivals such as Sweden Rock, Hellfest, and Graspop and will tour North America, the UK, and Australia/New Zealand later this year. Further dates across Europe for next year to be announced soon.
Firmly established as cult heroes, Uncle Acid and the deadbeats consolidated The Night Creeper's triumph by touring the world extensively, including a string of sold out shows in the U.S., U.K., Europe and Australia. The dystopian soaked Wasteland followed, cementing their reputation, before releasing the bizarro "audio film" concept album Nell'ora Blu, which challenged their audience with its exploration of new sounds.
While most musicians seem content to chase their own (or other people's tails), Uncle Acid and the deadbeats remain resolute individualists. Masterfully echoing the magical atmospheres of heavy music’s turbulent past while sounding entirely unlike anything else available to human ears. Having set up their own label Killer Candy Records, with the single "Don't Let It Control You" and new album set for 2026, Uncle Acid and the deadbeats continues to be the deadliest show in town.
UNCLE ACID AND THE DEADBEATS ARE:
Kevin Starrs — Vocals/Lead Guitar
George Hudson — Rhythm Guitar/Vocals
Jus Smith — Bass
Jon Rice —Drums
Rachel Burnett — Keys/Vocals
