Metal Meltdowns: Danzig, "blackacidevil"

Most any band that’s been around for a while has at least one of those albums where fans listen and wonder, “what the heck were they thinking?” In this series, I’ll explore some of those moments where my favorite metal and hard rock bands went off the rails. Some of the records I may hate, some I may like, but all represent a fundamental shift in the band’s sound, at least for a moment. I’ll start with a record that’s one of the more dramatic changes of direction in my memory, Danzig’s blackacidevil …

After coming out of punk band the Misfits and the experimental horror outfit Samhain, Glenn Danzig established his own name and unique sound under the tutelage of Rick Rubin. For the better part of four albums, he delivered a dark, powerful, doomy brand of metal underpinned by blues rock. Even though he experimented a little bit on his fourth record under the Danzig moniker, nothing prepared fans for what was to come with his fifth outing in 1996.

Review: Danzig, "Skeletons"

Glenn Danzig has a pretty good history with covers.

His version of Elvis Presley’s “Trouble,” which appeared on the Thrall/Demonsweatlive EP is, despite some unnecessary lyrical changes, a near-perfect metal cover of the tune. In fact, it ranks as one of my favorite cover songs ever. He also unleashed a solid version of T. Rex’s “Buick Mackane” on his Lost Tracks collection.

Both of those songs are right in his wheelhouse. The selections on his new covers album Skeletons, though, offer some surprises with covers from Aerosmith, ZZ Top, and … the Everly Brothers?

Review: 3, "A Fiendish Threat"

Early word was that A Fiendish Threat would be a new album of Hank Williams III’s “hellbilly” material, the mix of hard rock, punk and country that I don’t think he does nearly enough of. As it turns out, the album was a new punk rock project that he’s simply calling 3.

If the Misfits had grown up in Appalachia and formed in Tennessee, they might have sounded something like “Can I Rip U,” the opening track of this record. III wears his Misfits influence on his sleeve throughout the album, as most, if not all, of the songs will put fans in mind of the classic horror punk outfit. But there are also shades of other bands, notably Suicidal Tendencies with “Full On.”

Saturday Shuffle: Doyle, Iced Earth, Flotsam and Jetsam, Dash Rip Rock, Volbeat

Interesting shuffle this week in that it hit all newer material.

Doyle, “Mark of the Beast.” From the album Abominator (2013). Doyle, former guitarist for The Misfits, has released a surprisingly strong solo album that bears little resemblance to his former band beyond the horror imagery of the tunes. The music here is far more driven by metal and thrash than the punk of The Misfits. It’s good stuff, though.

Saturday Shuffle: Maiden cover, Annihilator, Willie Nelson, Whiskey Myers, The Misfits

This week, a group of really good musicians do a really bad job on Iron Maiden, and we throw in a little classic country, Southern rock, Canadian thrash and punk...

Chuck Billy/Craig Goldy/Rickie Phillips/Mikkey Dee, “Fear of the Dark.” From the album Numbers from the Beast (2005). Yeah, this is one of Iron Maiden’s coolest songs, and this version just really doesn’t work for me. An overly effects-laden vocal performance from Chuck Billy might be cool in another use, but I miss the dark Bruce Dickinson delivery. Musically it’s pretty faithful, but as much as I love Testament, this isn’t the venue for Billy.

Saturday Shuffle: Anthrax, Misfits, Alice Cooper, Queen, Testament

Another shuffle, in which we encounter one of the darker moments of Alice Cooper's career ...

Anthrax, “Caught in a Mosh.” From the album Among the Living (1987). The best album of the Joey Belladonna era and one of the band’s truly classic songs. I’ve always thought it funny that one of the chorus lyrics is “which one of these words, don’t you understand?” when at the time, there were a whole lot of people who wouldn’t have known what a mosh was. Great, great song.

Danzig streaming cover of "Devil's Angels"

Danzig is streaming a cover of "Devil's Angels," the theme song of the biker movie of the same name, at his website. The song should certainly please fans of his classic work with The Misfits. It would sound right at home on one of the band's records.

Review: Devil's Whorehouse, "Blood & Ashes"

If imitation is truly the sincerest form of flattery, then Glenn Danzig has to feel pretty good about this project from Morgan of Marduk and a few unknown guys. The band began in 2000 as a Misfits/Samhain cover act and has apparently released a handful of records and EPs over the years, which I somehow missed.

Basically, they’re still playing Misfits/Samhain covers. The 11 tracks on this album pretty much run the gamut from the energetic punk of the Misfits to the more bluesy sounds of Danzig and all points in between. That doesn’t mean it’s bad. In fact, there are quite a few entertaining numbers here for fans of the various incarnations of Danzig, but don’t go into this looking for something original.

The record starts off strong with a blast of Misfits on “Oceans Turn to Blood.” Two tracks later, it moves into doomier territory with “Speak the Name of the Dead,” which has the feel of some of Danzig’s more recent material. The brief, dark chanting style of “Cult of Death” provides a kind of interesting interlude to the all-out horror-punk of “Werewolf.” Full Samhain mode comes in with the less melodic turn on “Demons of the Flesh/Tight White Ropes” and “Face the Master,” but the band really shines on the darker more melodic numbers that closer to Danzig. “Shadows Never Change” is one of the better offerings in that vein, though it does show some of the vocal shortcomings of Maelstrom, who can’t quite get the deep, resonant Danzig tones. “Snakes Out the Mouth of Hell” is also memorable, recalling quieter Danzig numbers like “How the Gods Kill.”

Ultimately, Blood & Ashes is what it is — a group of guys who love the Misfits, Samhain and Danzig paying tribute to those bands. They do it well. Maelstrom has a passable Danzig impression, though at times it falters, and the rest of the band provides chops that wouldn’t be out of place on record by the aforementioned bands. It’s low on originality, high on energy and probably worth a listen for fans of the various faces of Danzig.

Get "Blood & Ashes."

The 12 Pack: Mandatory Metallica

On the eve of the release of Metallica's latest effort, "Death Magnetic," (come back tomorrow for my review) I thought I'd take a look back at some of the highlights of the band's career. So here's the setup, I've got one CD, 12 songs, to cover the band's essentials. It may not sound that tough, but you're talking about a guy who doesn't think there's a bad note on the band's first four albums.

The 12 Pack

1: "The Four Horsemen" ("Kill 'Em All," 1983). This was Metallica's first attempt at the epic metal song, and the appropriately galloping riff is still one of their best.

2. "Whiplash" ("Kill 'Em All," 1983). Raw, fast and wildly energetic, this song encapsulates everything that Metallica was at this point in time.

3. "Seek and Destroy" ("Kill 'Em All," 1983). Arguably the band's first brush with "commercial" songwriting, this song has one of the most memorable opening riffs of Metallica's career.

4. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" ("Ride the Lightning," 1984). The main riff of this tune is simplistic and practically plodding for Metallica at the time, but that doesn't lessen its power.

5. "Creeping Death" ("Ride the Lightning," 1984). The biblical epic has, oddly, become one of the band's signature songs. Fast, precise riffing and that huge live sing-along bit just before the guitar solo.

6. "Battery" ("Master of Puppets," 1986). A great pummeling album opener for the record that many fans consider Metallica's best. Competing for a spot on my list with "Damage, Inc." from the same record. Today, "Battery" wins.

7. "Master of Puppets" ("Master of Puppets," 1986). Again, it's all about that classic opening riff and that barked "Master, Master" hook.

8. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" ("Master of Puppets," 1986). You have to include one of the band's dark power ballads from the 1980s, and while "Fade to Black" and "One" are favorites, this twisted tune wins the spot.

9. "Orion" ("Master of Puppets," 1986). Again, any list of Metallica's best has to include at least one instrumental, and this is the band's best.

10. "Blackened" ("...And Justice for All," 1988). This is a showcase for those lightning fast, precise riffs that were Metallica's trademark in the 1980s. Not only the best song on this record, one of the best of Metallica's career.

11. "Sad, But True" ("Metallica," 1991). Again, a simplistic riff on a simplistic record that turned many fans off, but despite it's lack of technical prowess, it's a monster riff that can't be denied.

12. "Stone Cold Crazy" ("Garage Inc." 1998, originally a 1992 B-side). Metallica has always delivered some great covers, so you have to include one on the list. This take on the Queen classic narrowly beats out a solid stable of covers dating back to the band's earliest days.

The Limited Edition Bonus Disc:

Yes, I'm cheating. These are the songs that were close, but not quite.

"Motorbreath" ("Kill 'Em All," 1983). Galloping, punk-influenced, high octane blaster.

"Am I Evil?" ("Garage Days Revisited," 1984, later added to the re-release of "Kill 'Em All"). Metallica's first top-notch cover song, takes Diamondhead's original to a new level.

"Fade to Black" ("Ride the Lightning," 1984). Still a haunting piece of music.

"Damage, Inc." ("Master of Puppets," 1986). A theme song of sorts for Metallica, a great galloping thrasher that came the closes of any of the songs here to cracking that top 12.

"The Thing That Should Not Be" ("Master of Puppets," 1986). One of my absolute favorite Metallica tunes. Love that detuned riff and, hey, it's based on Lovecraft.

"Last Caress/Green Hell" ("Garage Days Re-Revisited," 1987). A great, catchy reworking of two Misfits tunes.

"Crash Course in Brain Surgery" ("Garage Days Re-Revisited," 1987). Metallica brings the groove on a Budgie cover. Surprising and solid.

"One" ("...And Justice For All," 1988). A huge epic power ballad scorned by some fans at the time for being Metallica's first breakthrough track, but still a great song.

"Dyer's Eve" ("...And Justice for All," 1988). Arguably Metallica's fastest, heaviest track ever.

"Of Wolf and Man" ("Metallica," 1991). James Hetfield's ode to hunting, great riff, great imagery.

"Nothing Else Matters" ("Metallica," 1991). It might surprise some people that this song makes my list, but I think it's the most honest of the commercial ballads that the band did. Heck, I played it at my wedding.

"Fuel" ("Re-Load," 1997). If I have to pick one song from the "Load" era that I can stomach, this would be it. It's catchy, and I actually kind of like it in retrospect.

"All Within My Hands" ("St. Anger," 2003). Perhaps the strongest track on this much-maligned record. Not many people like it. I do.

The Song that Should Not Be

Here's the one track that will never make any list of my favorite Metallica tunes.

"Enter Sandman" ("Metallica," 1991). Overplayed and overrated.

Review: Danzig - "The Lost Tracks of Danzig"

So, the question is should you drop 25 bucks on a double album of unreleased stuff by Danzig? If you had asked me that in 1992, I wouldn’t have blinked an eye before saying yes. I would have found a way to get my hands on what, at that time in my life, would have been a hell of a lot of money for a record. At that point, the first three Danzig records were among the favorites in my collection ("Lucifuge" would still be on my desert island list). It’s been 15 years, though, since the release of "How the Gods Kill," and the records that have come since haven’t exactly inspired my confidence.

"4p," is considered a masterpiece for some fans, but for me it was just OK. The same goes for "Satan’s Child," though when it was released after the techno-industrial "blackacidevil," it seemed like a great record by comparison. "I Luciferi" had some of the elements of his early records, but couldn’t come close to capturing the same dark mood or menace. And to be honest, I’ve never heard "Circle of Snakes" because after his publicist at the time decided that I could review the record from short snippets of each song and didn’t need a full copy of the album, I just never got around to picking it up.

So, long story long, I had to be convinced to go out and give "The Lost Tracks of Danzig" a try. I’m glad I did. Is it a masterpiece? No. Is it worth $25? For a real Danzig fan, yes. If you’ve been craving that old school, basic drums, bass, guitar and vocal approach of Danzig’s early records, that blend of punk, metal and bluesy hard rock sensibilities, the first tracks on this record will be a welcome blast from the past.

The opener “Pain is Like an Animal” was reportedly written for Samhain, but would have been a damned fine addition to the first Danzig record. Fans of the old Danzig style will find a lot to like on the first disc, which digs back into tracks left over from those albums. Nearly every one is built on a great riff, though the overall results are mixed. Some seem a little unformed or unfinished, like “When Death Had No Name,” which we’re treated to twice here. The first version starts cool, but seems to drone on too long. The second is slightly better, but still not great. The weakest by far, though, is “Cold, Cold Rain” a run at one of those slow songs like “Sistinas” or “Blood and Tears” that just comes off as a really bad Elvis impersonation.

More uptempo numbers like “You Should be Dying” and “Angel of the 7th Dawn” catch that nice groove that Danzig’s best work always had. They’re not perfect tracks, but then that’s why they were unreleased. One of the more interesting tracks here is the racially-charged “White Devil Rise,” a song supposedly aimed at controversial Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan. It’s not a great song, and with lyrics that seem to support a race war, it’s easy to see why it wasn’t released. But it’s an interesting song to ponder on several levels.

There are also a couple of "blackacidevil" outtakes at the end of the first disc. “Deep,” like most of that record does nothing for me, but “Warlok” is kind of an interesting dark and droning tune that’s a bit better than most of the stuff on that record.

Easily the two strongest songs on the first disc, aside from “Pain is Like an Animal,” are his cover of T. Rex’s “Buick McKane” and the acoustic version of “Come to Silver.” I was quite surprised with the “Buick McKane” cover since the kind of happy-go-lucky song seems so different from Danzig’s usual fare. “Come to Silver,” though, is easily one of the best performances on either disc. Originally written for Johnny Cash, Danzig recorded a version of the song on blackacidevil. It was one of the best songs on that record, but that’s not saying much. This is a completely different song. Here, he breaks out an acoustic guitar and performs the song as Cash might have. It’s an understated, yet powerful performance that seems at least in part a heartfelt tribute to a man who displayed just as much attitude and intensity as any heavy metal great. If you only listen to one song on this record, make it this one.

The second disc covers the more recent years of Danzig’s career. I thought I’d be less interested in it, and overall, I am, but there are some surprisingly strong moments scattered throughout it. Chief among them is the song he’s chosen as the lead single, “Crawl Across Your Killing Floor.” The tune is a dark, blues-inflected song that blends some of the best elements of past and present. It would have been a great song to build an album of new material around. “I Know Your Lie” and “Who Claims the Soulless” also catch good grooves, even though they seem nu-metalish at points, and there’s another surprising cover to be found in David Bowie’s “Cat People.”

The big riffs pop up again later in the second disc with the straight-up hard rocker, “Soul Eater,” which is infectious despite not having the greatest lyrics on the record. And I even have to admit to liking the 1960s-influenced groove of “Lick the Blood Off My Hands.”

“Lost tracks” records are often just an excuse to make a buck off of stuff the artist has laying around, and it’s usually easy to see why the tracks were lost in the first place. While that’s certainly the case with some of the songs on this record, there are also a lot of gems here, too, though admittedly some are in the rough. For casual fans of Danzig, I’d probably recommend picking and choosing what you like, but for the real Danzig fan, I’d say this record is a must-have.

Read the Stuck in My Head feature on Danzig's "Come to Silver."

Read my reviews of past Danzig records.

Get "The Lost Tracks of Danzig."

Review: Danzig, "777: I Luciferi"

On Danzig's last two albums, the band experimented with mixed success with electronic sounds. But with this - their seventh full-length studio release - Glenn Danzig and Co. have come home.

"I Luciferi" is a welcome return to their roots - blues-based hard rock, classic heavy metal, punk and gothic.

Like Danzig's best work, "I Luciferi" is driven by big guitar riffs and haunted vocals - an odd blend of Elvis, Jim Morrison and Beelzebub. Gone are the synthesizers that disguised that distinctive voice and the industrial clanking of the last two albums. They've been replaced by raw, energetic rock 'n' roll.

The difference is evident from the beginning of the album. The pummeling guitar riff of "Black Mass" gets things going. It's easily the best Danzig riff in at least a decade.

In fact, the first three songs on the album may rank among the best Danzig has recorded. The second cut and first single, "Wicked Pussycat," has a down and dirty grind that would be right at home on the band's first two albums. The mewling guitar sounds are a nice touch, as well. The third tune, "God of Light," offers a nod to the current metal scene with a catchy percussive riff.

No matter what influences work their way into his songs, they're all undeniably Danzig. Listening to "Kiss the Skull," one is reminded of Danzig's early days with seminal hardcore punkers The Misfits; the title track and "The Coldest Sun" show leanings toward his days in the goth-metal band Samhain.

Of course, the album has the trademark Danzig ballads. But the term ballad is misleading; while these songs are softer, they're by no means commercial. Instead, they feature haunting melodies and dark lyrics.

The mystical-sounding ballad "Angel Blake" has a mocking tone, like a children's nursery rhyme gone bad. And "Dead Inside" tackles the subject of depression.

With this album, Danzig weaves a dark, dense tapestry of sound that will be more familiar to long-time listeners than the techno-industrial efforts of his recent works. It's nice to have him back.

Get "I Luciferi."