It’s been a long time since Danzig was more than just a punchline for hipster comedy.  And while the internet is partially to blame in crushing Glenn’s evil image by displaying him mowing his lawn and getting punched-out backstage by angry supporting acts, the fact that he hasn’t released good music since How the Gods Kill doesn’t help.  So going into his new album, the annoyingly-spelled Deth Red Sabaoth, I realized that although I really wanted Lucifuge, I shouldn’t be surprised if I got Blackaciddevil instead.  Luckily for Danzig fans, the album does not sink that low, in fact it manages to conjure some of the dirty, gothic soul we’d expect from “Evil Elvis”.  I wouldn’t say Danzig is back, but after a long hiatus, Deth Red Sabaoth is a welcome surprise.

It’s not all perfect, but there are a number of tracks that sound like unreleased songs from the early days.  The first, Hammer of the Gods hits hard and from the intro riff to the epic, sing-along chorus, it’s something fans have been missing for years now.  The second, The Revengeful, is definitely a toe-tapper despite it’s over-driven guitar riff.  Plus, any song that features the lyric, “I got a bed of human skulls” has to gain some extra points.  Night Star Hel continues Glenn’s problems with spelling, but the ending riff and driving ride cymbal groove powerfully as if we were all still in a dirty black summer.

The unintentional comedy of the video for I’m the One always soured what was a great song and the lyrical cheesiness of Ju-Ju Bone might do the same.  It’s your typical blues-driven Danzig fare, but if it were a bit more stripped down and inspired video of Glenn brooding and crooning on the front porch of a broken-down shack it would probably be more successful.

My main beef with the album is that the overall tones are a little off and it does become distracting at times.  What one might consider a “dirty” sound can sometimes be interpreted as just plain “bad” and the guitars are often TOO over-driven for the mix.  It seems like there was no mastering done as sometimes Glenn’s voice, the drumming and the guitar all fluctuate.  Also, the inclusion of double bass drumming on Rebel Spirits and Black Candy sound out of place, and worse, out of touch.  This type of drumming was never necessary for Chuck Biscuits, and it ruins the vibe that made early Danzig so great.  Are these issues enough to bury this album alongside 6:66 Satan’s Child?  No, in fact, I think for true Danzig fans, Deth Red Sabaoth will be hailed as a return to form.  The album might not get as many plays as the first four masterpieces, but it reminds us of what we loved about Glenn and his unique approach to music.  Plus, the picture of him with a naked chick on the inside of the album is worth the purchase alone.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “Glenn, you have a bed made of skulls?  I just put the matching armoire on Craigslist, we should talk!”

Justin’s Review:

I’m going to cut to the chase here… Deth Red Sabaoth is the Danzig album you’ve been wanting for years. The rockers… the crooners… the pinch harmonics… the stripper anthems; Deth Red Sabaoth has it all (including possibly one of the worst guitar sounds ever put to tape). Despite that little nugget of injustice (seriously Glenn… stick to songwriting… producing is not your bag), DRS is definitely a return to form for everyone’s favorite mesh-shirt-wearing-jongleur.

While never really closing in on “Instant-Classic” territory, the majority of the tracks are memorable, and feature enough variety to keep things fresh and interesting. Kickoff track “Hammer of the Gods” features a smattering of classic Danzig traits and a nice doomy break that wouldn’t sound out of place on an early Trouble record. “The Revengeful” lays the guitars on pretty thick (one of many tunes that comes oh-so-close to overusing pinch harmonics & Tommy Victor wank-solos), but still manages to keep it together and enjoyable. “On A Wicked Night” marks the first single off DRS and despite it’s power-ballad leanings… is an incredibly well-writen song. I have visions of The Cult performing this and not losing a step. As Mark so accurately points out, “Ju-Ju Bone” waltzes unapologetically into cheese-land… yet still manages to win me over completely. Actually… that could probably be said for 90% of this record. Hell… 90% of all (good) Danzig records.

I first heard Deth Red Sabaoth a few weeks ago, and I’ve found myself doing attempting at least 3-4 Danzig impressions every day since. I think it’s a sign that this album’s pretty good.

Cover art kicks ass too.

Justin’s Rating:

King says: “Hey Glenn… when are we gonna do that duet we’ve always talked about?”

Have A Listen:

Danzig – On A Wicked Night:

Download audio file (On_a_Wicked_Night.mp3)

Man… there is a absolute shit-ton of Danzig videos on YouTube. So many, that I’m honestly having trouble determining the real videos from the impostures.

What ever is a Danzig fan to do?

Reunions are all the rage in metal these days, with everyone from Faith No More to Limp Bizkit announcing special shows and possible albums. Most of the time, the underlying, money-making agenda of these reunions is clouded by the fan excitement after years and years of clamoring for more. But be warned Metalheads, as more and more bands dust off the instruments for another go, your memories of them may be altered. For every Carcass, there’s Anthrax with Joey Belladonna, and much like Jordan in a Wizards uniform, a horrid final encounter changes your perception FOREVER. However, money talks, and the success of these tours and albums has guaranteed there are more to follow. I shudder to think of what legacies may be ruined, but here are 3 Metal Reunions that I foresee happening that will totally suck:

Sepultura with Max

I honestly don’t think there is any Cavalera influence in Sepultura now, but with Igor and Max together making music again, this is bound to happen. Especially since Cavalera Conspiracy probably put out one of the worst albums I’ve ever heard, and A-Lex isn’t exactly printing money for Derrick Green, Andreas Kisser and Paulo Jr (should he be “Paulo Sr” now?). Money’s tight, and there’s definitely money to be made with an old-school Sepultura tour. I’m sure this would be huge in Japan, Europe and South America and cause waves of Americans to break out their Chaos A.D. hockey jerseys. Unfortunately, these guys cant play their old stuff anymore, Max’s riffing is sloppy and the last live tracks I heard from Igor, he was changing some of the more complex parts to easier drum fills. I guess you lose some of your chops when you’re busy playing a djembe with Amazonians. I’m predicting an album title with a single word in either Portuguese or sounding sinister (“PAINLIFE“, “FUTA“, “CHUPACABRA!”)

Danzig with Original Lineup

A recipe for disaster! I’m sure everyone would like to see the “classic” Danzig lineup from the first 4 albums, but it’s an idea that should remain on paper. Now it might never happen because Glenn’s ego, but I can see it because without those other three, everything he touches turns to shit. He tried to do his own package tour, Blackest of the Black… and since I’ve never talked to anyone who’s attended, nor read a single review, I’m assuming that it’s so off-the-radar, that it’s a complete flop. Plus, the mystique of Danzig and of Glenn himself has work off. We’ve all seen his true self: a sad man with little touch with reality and a bulging waistline. When we were in high school, he was evil… now? he’s just balding. I’m sure seeing them stumble through Lucifuge tracks would only serve as a depressing reminder that we’re all older, fatter and embarrassed of our “wolf tattoos”.

Pantera

Before everyone cries, “It’ll NEVER happen!!, Phil and Vinnie hate each other!“, just hold on. Vinnie Paul is a businessman, lending his name to any cheesy money-making opportunity such as strip clubs or custom snare drums that are ugly as sin. He wants to be Gene Simmons, but with more facial hair and he wants to keep a legacy alive. Although his brother’s death ended his legitimate music career, he keeps trying to form “supergroups” that play shitty aggro-metal that appeals to rednecks, jocks and neanderthals. There will come a time where Anslemo and him patch things up, and they will release a statement to Blabbermouth saying how they “just had a urge to rock out those kickass Pantera grooves again!!” or “Dime would’ve wanted us to keep drinking and keep crushing these tunes live on stage!!” They will probably get Zakk Wydle to play guitar, he will dye his beard pink, and it will be an all-out atrocity of the highest sorts. Face it, as much as the idea first seems ludicrous, right now, you’re saying to yourself…”Yep, I can see that happening.”