Playing music that was dark but playful at the same time, the Damned started out as a loud, hell-bent-for-leather punk quartet (1977's Damned Damned Damned). They soon began adding psychedelic and garage rock influences into their music (1979's Machine Gun Etiquette), detoured into epic-scale pop with a dash of prog (1980's The Black Album), and embraced a tuneful but muscular take on goth (1985's Phantasmagoria), all within their first ten years. While the strong, mannered but witty vocals from Dave Vanian remained a constant, the band's personnel altered constantly until they found a relatively stable lineup in the 2000s, led by Vanian and co-founder Captain Sensible. Throughout it all, the band's ability to take their music seriously without taking themselves seriously endeared them to a tremendously loyal fan base.