It’s been two years since Duran Duran released a record and now they’ve announced their 16th studio album, but this time it’s Halloween-themed.
The idea came about last year when the band performed in Las Vegas on October 31.
A statement reads: “Danse Macabre is the soundtrack to their ultimate Halloween party.
“Across 13 tracks the band unearth bright melodies from the darkness, threading together new songs, themed covers, and newly reimagined versions of their own ‘spooky’ classics.”
Check out the title track, the first of three brand new songs, below plus which stars they’re covering.
Speaking about Danse Macabre, keyboardist Nick Rhodes said: “The song ‘Danse Macabre’ celebrates the joy and madness of Halloween. It is the title track of our forthcoming album, which gathers together an unusual mix of cover versions, reworked Duran Duran songs and several new compositions. The idea was born out of a show we played in Las Vegas on October 31st, 2022. We had decided to seize the moment to create a unique, special event…the temptation of using glorious gothic visuals set to a dark soundtrack of horror and humour was simply irresistible.
“That evening inspired us to explore further and to make an album, using Halloween as the key theme. The record metamorphosed through a pure, organic process, and not only was it made faster than anything since our debut album, it has also resulted in something none of us could have ever predicted. Emotion, mood, style and attitude have always been at the heart of Duran Duran’s DNA, we search for light in the darkness and darkness in the light, and I feel we have somehow managed to capture the essence of all of that in this project.”
The announcement added: “Fans can also look forward to Duran Duran’s Halloween covers of Billie Eilish’s Bury A Friend, Talking Heads’ Psycho Killer (feat. Victoria De Angelis of Måneskin), The Rolling Stones’ Paint It Black, the Rick James-inspired Super Lonely Freak, Siouxsie and the Banshees’ Spellbound, Cerrone’s Supernature and The Specials’ Ghost Town.”
DANSE MACABRE TRACKLIST
1. Nightboat
2. Black Moonlight
3. Love Voudou
4. Bury A Friend
5. Supernature
6. Danse Macabre
7. Secret Oktober 31st
8. Ghost Town
9. Paint It Black
10. Super Lonely Freak
11. Spellbound
12. Psycho Killer (feat. Victoria De Angelis)
13. Confession in the Afterlife
Duran Duran’s new album Danse Macabre is released on October 27, 2023 and can be pre-ordered here.