Punk pioneers The Damned are set to release a deeply personal covers album dedicated to founding guitarist Brian James, who passed away in March 2025.

Recorded in just five explosive days at Revolver Studio in Los Angeles, Not Like Everybody Else reunites the classic lineup of Dave Vanian (vocals), Captain Sensible (guitar), Rat Scabies (drums), and Paul Gray (bass), with longtime keyboardist Monty Oxymoron. Significantly, this marks Rat Scabies’ first studio recording with the band in 40 years.

The album spans a diverse range of classics, opening with R. Dean Taylor’s ‘There’s A Ghost In My House’ and featuring interpretations of Pink Floyd’s ‘See Emily Play’ and The Animals’ ‘When I Was Young’. The record closes with an emotional tribute: a remixed version of ‘The Last Time’ by The Rolling Stones, featuring Brian James himself from his final live performance with The Damned at Hammersmith.

Lead single ‘There’s A Ghost In My House’ drops on 30th October, accompanied by a music video directed by Gilbert Trejo featuring footage from the band’s recent US tour, including their show at the inaugural CBGBs Festival in Brooklyn.

To celebrate the release, The Damned will perform a special one-off covers show at Albert Hall, Manchester on 28th January 2026. Fans ordering through the Official Album Store from 29th October will receive early ticket access, plus three exclusive 7″ vinyl singles with previously unreleased B-sides.

This release coincides with The Damned’s 50th anniversary celebrations, honouring five decades since they kickstarted the UK punk revolution with the first British punk single ‘New Rose’ and debut album Damned, Damned, Damned. The band will also headline OVO Arena Wembley on 11th April 2026, with support from The Loveless featuring Marc Almond, Peter Hook And The Light, and The Courettes.

Not Like Everybody Else arrives 23rd January 2026 on CD Digipak, standard black vinyl, and limited rainbow sparkle edition.