Here I sat with my cup of hot green tea in hand ready to tear into the new Danzig record. Like the last handful of releases my expectations were on pure Book of Poo material. Honestly, when has anyone associated with the Misfits not put out a piece of shit in the last...what...8 years. I didn't think I would see the day rise again that these once forgotten words would leave my mouth/fingers: The new Danzig album is fantastic! You heard me right. Any trepidation I had is now washed away in flash flood of doomy hard rock goodness. Just like a starving man getting a down home country meal, my musical fires have been stoked with hellfire. Every aspect of this release is wonderful. Musically we see a fuck of a great line up: Steve Zing (Samhain, Doomtree), Johnny Kelly (Type o Negative, Seventh Void), and Tommy Victor (Prong). Glenn must have been taking great care of his vocals after that little lactose problem back in the Danzig V days, because his voice is on point. Even the artwork of the album is the best he's had since the Danzig 6 era. I will attempt to describe in my most unbiased composure how elated i am to have a good rocking album from "Evil Elvis". Call it a good way to shut out the first *cough*shitty*cough* decade of the 2000's. I'm going to take this as an omen that things are looking up once again. So now I have nothing to bitch about.
:: crickets ::
Okay, this is me so I'm sure there are a few things that annoy me about the album. Let us venture down the dark and foreboding path of Glenn Danzig's mind...
The name of the release is "Deth Red Sabaoth" and the standard is back for the artwork. I am really enjoying these new digipacks that many artists are switching to. I get the feeling like a mini-LP has dropped into my hands as i open them. The art work is by Joe Chiodo. His style is known for cartoony pin-up girls. If i'm not mistaken he has done a few pin-up style portraits of Gen 13 characters, and mostly like has some affiliation with Verotik comics. Death, sex, and anticipation are what i gather from the skeleton faced vixen that adorns the front of the record. The cartoony nature doesn't go over the top like Danzig 6 (special edition) and isn't cheap in look like Circle of Snakes. James Only mentioned to me that the only thing that could make the record better would be tits. Well Glenn delivers as the elongated gate fold CD opens to one supreme breast. No not Danzig...the other boob. A mostly naked woman is crucified and Glenn is crouched down by her. I get a very Hammer Horror vibe from this photo. It seems Glenn was just in a slump the last couple of albums. Might i had that the girl, for once, is genuinely hot with no trace of fake plastic porn star to be seen. Though, don't be misled. I wouldn't doubt that there is cosmetic surgery somewhere on that woman.
The record opens with a track entitled "Hammer of the Gods". A heavy piece in the vein of the good parts of Circle of Snakes. I get a little stoner metal vibe off of this. It would seem to delve into a bit more of the modern doom sounds. It is heavy and fast in the right places and heavy, creepy, and slow too. Glenn is doing the Gods of Asgard justice. At this point i wasn't getting my hopes up. Blackmass off of Danzig 7 was a killer track and that album went to shit after that song.
Track two is called "The Revengeful" and has a god damned annoying guitar squeal that makes me want to turn to the next song. In fact Tommy Victor uses this same guitar squeal way to damned much throughout the whole record. Tommy you are not John Christ and you don't have to try and be. It's OK...we know. Seriously, the guitar squeal nearly ruins a perfectly good rocker. Techno would be the best way to describe this. A machine sequenced high pitched squeal that makes me want to kick babies.
Track three, "Rebel Spirits", adds some double pedal to the doom drive. A mid-tempo rocker with some of the better arrangements I've heard from Glenn in ages. I'm feeling a bit more of 4P vibe from this track. Excellent effort here. The song stands up to previous good works very well.
Now we get into the real Poo, if you will. There are two songs on this album with great music, but gawd awful lyrics that rival the schlock of "Human Pony Girl" (from Samhain's November's Coming Fire). This one is called "Black Candy" and is just...well bad. Not musically, as i said. The second verse starts with "Tastes like a five pointed high, Black Candy is so hard to find". Come on Glenn...you can do better than this. Musically the song is down tempo and creepy, but is just ruined with the horribly bad lyrics.
"On A Wicked Night" was the first single from the album and one of the top 3 worst songs. It is leaps and bounds better than the other two. I get the feeling that this song was not completed. When the heavier parts kick in the song feels like it is stuck in gear. A shame too, because this had potential.
Oh! Next up is a tune called "Deth Red Moon" that just screams epicness. There is plenty of sing-a-long chorus in this to have even Misfits purists caught in the flow. Don't get me wrong, this is no Misfits song. It has merit though. More of the 4P spiritual vibe protrudes from this. Decent song all around.
It would be nice if you could see me face palm myself into oblivion over this piece of shit. "Ju Ju bone" is a contender for worst song in the history of Danzig's discography. I'm not sure if "Human Pony Girl" or "Wicked Pussycat" could beat it out or not. A song about voodoo porn. In the name of the Gods, When Glenn goes cheesy he gives Jerry Only a run of his money. Musically the song is, again, over shadowed by verses such as
"What in the Hell
Wanna make a man
have to
Break you off a little some
of my Ju Ju Bone"
If singing this to some vivacious lady of the night get's you a little of that voodoo honey pot than more power to you.
Evil kicks the schlock out the window as "Night Star Hel" is summoned. The music for this one is heavy and creepy. The sound of chanting monks can be heard in the background as Glenn sings about a prophesied death. To counter balance the fact that Glenn can has his bad moments, when the man get's it right he really gets it right. Honestly i haven't gotten a vibe like this from his music since Danzig III: How the Gods Kill. Excellent!
Who here liked the first Black Aria? Well for the next 10 minutes of this record we have some doomy, creepy instrumental epicness. Two parts called "Pyre of Souls" paint a musical picture. Think of this as a very "Misery Tomb" (From Samhain's Unholy Passion EP - CD edition) feel. The first part is purely instrumental and bares the name "Incanticle". The second part is called "Seasons of Pain". There are no fucking lyrics printed for this. maybe they are with the LP version. However, I will bet this is just another song to be lumped into the pile of non-released lyrics. Still a killer song. I get really into huge pieces of atmospheric occult based doom metal. I really feel that Glenn is getting back to his more pagan filled roots that made Samhain so amazing. Even with few change ups this song doesn't get to overtly boring.
Finally, the last track is called "Left Hand Rise Above". Danzig has some real fixation with left handed history and lore. Good song though. Has a vibe that is somewhere between How the Gods Kill and 4P. A great song to end this album. If this song isn't proof that Glenn's vocals are in better shape than i don't know what is.
So is this a perfect album? No, by no means is this Danzig's best work. It is, however, probably the best thing he's put out in 10 years. Out of ten songs there are only two that i want to chuck out the window and one that i will skip most of the time. The artwork is worthy and the marketing is amazing. A 7inch single of "One A Wicked Night" was released at some recent shows. The album will be available in a limited edition (666 copies) ceramic urn (i preordered mine...I'll get pictures), the regular ecopack, a standard CD edition, and a 12inch LP. I'm so used to bitch'in and moan'in about how Danzig low balls his fans and now he goes out on a limb with this album. Next thing you know he is going to put out an EP and do a real US tour (not necessarily in that order). I think it was the dark karma of Johnny Kelly and Steve Zing. Those two are from two bands i have much love and respect for (Type O Negative and Samhain, respectively). We can say goodbye to a very shitty decade. Some music was good and some was very very bad. I suppose that can be said for many styles, but in this case we had a whole lot of shit released. Danzig is coming back with an unholy vengeance. That in and of itself is a good day to me. I recommend this album. Skip Danzig 7 and Circle of Snakes. Go out and get this album.
8 out of 10 cups of blood!
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