Taking their name from a lyric in
Ram Jam's 1977 version of "Black Betty," hard rock supergroup
the Damned Things, featuring members of
Anthrax,
Fall Out Boy,
Alkaline Trio, and
Every Time I Die, emerged in 2010 with the chart-topping
Ironiclast, which employed a muscular blend of riff-chugging classic rock and in-your-face heavy metal.
Founded in 2009 by
Fall Out Boy lead guitarist
Joe Trohman and
Anthrax guitarist/lead vocalist
Scott Ian, who had begun writing together the year prior, the group eventually expanded to include
Every Time I Die vocalist
Keith Buckley,
Anthrax guitarist
Rob Caggiano,
Every Time I Die bassist
Josh Newton, and
Fall Out Boy drummer
Andy Hurley. Utilizing the powerful riffage of
Anthrax and the driving, hook-laden pop of
Fall Out Boy to create an infectious thrash/classic rock hybrid, the band released their debut album,
Ironiclast, via Mercury Records in 2010, which hit number one on the Billboard Heatseekers chart. Busy with their flagship groups,
the Damned Things took their time getting back into the studio, but they returned in 2019 with their sophomore long-player,
High Crimes, which featured a new lineup consisting of
Ian,
Trohman,
Buckley,
Hurley, and
Alkaline Trio bassist Dan Andriano. ~ James Christopher Monger