The William Penn Statue Curse refers to a belief in a curse associated with the statue of William Penn atop Philadelphia City Hall in the United States. According to the legend, the City of Philadelphia would suffer sports misfortunes if any other statue or building in the city were to rise above the height of William Penn's statue. The curse was believed to have been cast in 1987 when a skyscraper, One Liberty Place, surpassed the height of City Hall. Prior to that, William Penn's statue had always been the tallest structure in the city. This curse became popularized in the context of Philadelphia's sports teams, particularly the Philadelphia Phillies baseball team, which experienced a significant period of failures following the construction of One Liberty Place. The curse gained attention when the Philadelphia Phillies, a historically successful baseball team, experienced a long championship drought after 1987.
The curse gained attention when the Philadelphia Phillies, a historically successful baseball team, experienced a long championship drought after 1987. The Phillies had previously won two World Series championships but failed to secure any titles for over 25 years after the curse supposedly began. This led to fans attributing the team's misfortunes to the curse.
Album Review: Dance With The Dead – Driven To Madness
It’s hard to deny that Californian duo Dance With The Dead have found a winning formula with their music. Synthwave and rock in itself is a superb mash-up of genres, but utilising themes of horror, and adding a spooky tone has taken things to the next level. It brings a sense of nostalgia, feeling like a callback to classic horror flicks of a bygone era. Listening to DWTD’s music conjures imagery of the undead rising from their graves in the dark of night, as all manner of ghouls and things that go bump in the night flock to the scene, to party like there’s no tomorrow. I mean, it’s likely there isn’t – they’re probably the ones causing Armageddon! This mood is very much present and correct on the band’s storming sixth record, Driven To Madness.
I’m aware using the adjective ‘storming’ pretty much gives away my opinion of the album before even reaching the second paragraph, but it’s pretty difficult to not like Dance With The Dead’s music. If you’ve listened to them before, there’s still the usual suspects here. It has the gloriously eerie synths and chilling tones that sound as if the listener is exploring the depths of a haunted mansion, contextualised by thunderingly energetic guitar riffs, as the tempo of the electro goes into overdrive, being enough to blow the roof off. Although there are plenty of unexpected twists added to the mix this time round. Driven To Madness is loaded with new inspirations, leading to some surprises along the way, being enough to keep even veteran fans of the band on their toes. It traverses a lot of ground before it’s all over, to some uncharted realms.
Intro “March of the Dead” is exactly as advertised, opening to the sounds of the undead marching in formation to bring about the end of the world. Church bells toll, leading to chugging metal guitars and some spooky, dramatic synths. The legendary John Carpenter and Cody Carpenter lend their talents here, and it shows, seamlessly blending into DWTD’s style. “Firebird” then explodes out of nowhere, heavy guitars and huge electro shockwaves working in tandem, to earth shattering levels. This neatly leads into whimsical synths of retro goodness, having all the hallmark sounds of the band’s music. A high-octane sinister synth builds in for “Hex”, joined by stompy beats, as a ghostly choir sweeps into the background. The track soon takes frenetic tone, with a glitchy soundscape, as if the equipment is becoming possessed, roaring into harsh, droning waves. There’s a ton of different things going on here, all the influences being an attack on the senses, as the madness starts to take hold. It seems like things aren’t slowing down in “Sledge” as the speedy refrains are here to stay. This one feels like a whirlwind, having a real sense of urgency to it. Even though there are some more minimal moments of instrumentation, it remains effective, without losing intensity. Of course, this only helps the harder moments sound more bombastic, and we have a sick solo to top things off! “Kiss of the Creature”, on the other hand, is a totally different beast. Instead of heaviness, this focuses on being more slick. There’s a real funky disco tone to it, and even the guitar work is styled in such a way, being surprisingly laid back. There’s still creepy moments, such as disembodied robotic voices trying to break through, as if there’s a ghost in the machine.
This one has a somewhat Reflective mood, almost being ballad-like in presentation. It’s easy to get lost in this one and to picture driving down coastal roads, the sun setting behind a distant neon-drenched cityscape.
“I’m Your Passenger”
After a brief charge up, “Wyrm of Doom” bursts back into the more traditional DWTD affair, as thundering riffage takes over. The spooky atmosphere is ever present, and despite there being enticing electronic melodies, it still feels as if the listener has to look over their shoulder. This takes plenty of unexpected turns; at some points there’s symphonic Gothic metal laden moments, and even a section that sounds as if Daft Punk have taken the reins. It’s amazing how well it all fits together! Despite “Start the Thaw” having gritty sounding, massive bass, it has an unusually pop tone, and is notably soft for DWTD. This number is packed with pleasingly dreamlike melodies and has an uplifting mood. Even though this isn’t their usual style, it still slots in neatly with the rest of their musical catalogue. They’ve made this style their own. “I’m Your Passenger” begins with a smooth stadium rock style drum beat, reminiscent of Def Leppard, neatly flowing into hypnotising electronic melodies. This one has a somewhat Reflective mood, almost being ballad-like in presentation. It’s easy to get lost in this one and to picture driving down coastal roads, the sun setting behind a distant neon-drenched cityscape. “Nebula” continues this mesmerising allure, having an entrancing, cosmic tone that suits it’s namesake. This is the dusk settling in, giving way to the night skies, as the cosmos awes with endless patterns of stars. “A New Fear” brings in a sudden adrenaline burst, the mighty, swirling synths and screeching guitars being enough to have anyone on their feet. There’s a grandiose feel to the proceedings, the rhythm remaining unrelenting alongside fluid guitar work, and even some of the Gothic symphonic elements creeping back in. This is a mighty banger to finish on.
Dance With The Dead could’ve easily stuck to their guns, keeping to their usual formula, and this still probably would’ve been a great record. However, for Driven To Madness, they’ve gone the extra mile and have stepped out of their comfort zone. The results may not be as heavy as they usually are, but it’s no less compelling, and still very much aligns with their iconic brand of synthwave. I’m aware that Dance With The Dead are no strangers to more ambient moments, but here it feels as if there’s a slightly softer touch sprinkled throughout, which is especially evident in the latter half, although they don’t take this too far, and strike the perfect balance.
It still maintains the creepy horror factor, plus is an absolute belter during the harsher moments, and these are now accompanied by sections that are absolutely captivating. As a bonus, this contrast is striking, making the heavier parts pack even more of a punch. Despite all these distinctive pieces at play, they all connect like an intricate puzzle, fitting neatly into place. Somehow, it still has an unrelenting feeling, keeping a constant flow throughout, being one heck of a ride. Six albums in, it’s great that this duo can still surprise us in unexpected ways.
Final Verdict: Driven To Madness combines Dance With The Dead’s usual formula with unexpected elements that keep things fresh, creating greater contrasts than ever before. Their creepy horror synthwave rock rave is still very much alive, and better than ever!
The curse came to an end in 2007 when another skyscraper, the Comcast Center, exceeded the height of William Penn's statue once again. The following year, in 2008, the Philadelphia Phillies won their third World Series championship, breaking the curse and bringing an end to the sports misfortunes associated with it. While the William Penn Statue Curse may have been viewed as a mere superstition, it gained significant attention and became a topic of conversation among Philadelphia sports fans. The curse serves as an example of how sports superstitions and beliefs can deeply influence fans' perspectives and expectations. Overall, the William Penn Statue Curse symbolizes the importance of tradition and the impact that sports superstitions can have on a fanbase. Despite being rooted in folklore, the curse became a part of Philadelphia's sports culture and influenced fans' hopes and fears until it was finally broken in 2008..
Reviews for "The William Pnn Statue: A Curse that Transcends Time"
1. John Doe - Rating: 1/5 stars
I have to say, I was extremely disappointed with "William Penn Statue Curse". The story lacked any depth or substance, and the characters were one-dimensional. The dialogue felt forced, and the pacing was all over the place. I kept waiting for something interesting to happen, but it was just a series of predictable and uninteresting events. Overall, it felt like a waste of my time, and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
2. Sarah Thompson - Rating: 2/5 stars
I heard good things about "William Penn Statue Curse", so I was excited to give it a try. However, I found it to be quite underwhelming. The plot had potential, but it was poorly executed. The writing style was dull and lacked creativity. I couldn't connect with any of the characters as they were flat and uninteresting. The ending was also unsatisfying and left me with more questions than answers. It had potential, but it fell short in almost every aspect.
3. Michael Anderson - Rating: 1/5 stars
I honestly don't understand the hype around "William Penn Statue Curse". It was one of the most boring books I've ever read. The storyline was slow-moving and unengaging, and the characters were forgettable. The writing itself was dry and lacked any sort of emotion. I struggled to finish it, and by the end, I felt like I had wasted my time. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting or thrilling read.