Danzig. The man, the myth, the attitude.
If you bothered to stop by, you probably either know something about danzig, or just simply are curious about him.
Well, this will give you a limited background of his work prior to danzig-the band (i.e. misfits, samhain). I'm going to concentrate
on 1-4, because... well, just because. Namely because I love the band around him...
The background:
In 1977, towards the end of the era of punk, the Misfits were formed. Glenn
Danzig, Jerry Caiafa (Only), and Manny were the founding members.
Their first record was Cough/Cool. This was actually jazzy in a sense and certainly doesn't reflect the style that would soon follow.
Obsessed with movies, especially horror and b-movies, the Misfits created a style all their own. They wrote songs about late-night TV hosts (Vampira), Patty Hearst (She), JFK (Bullet), and their hair styles (Devilock). They kept things simple. They kept things hard. But they couldn't keep a stable line-up of musicians. Glenn left in 1983 and has never returned.
After a long and exhauted court battle, the Misfits finally grabbed the name back and are moving on without him (and
doing beautifully). Though it's not quite the same without him, I would strongly recommend seeing them play live and purchasing American Psycho, the new album. It's a cum-bubbling experience.
Their music is some of the most original ever created. They are my favorite punk band,
and always will be.
This page is not going to concentrate on the Misfits. I would recommend Misfits Central as a complete source of everything Misfits related. They do it much better.
Next up... Samhain. Glenn formed Samhain with Eerie Von (the photographer for the Misfits) and Steve Zing. Glenn played guitar and sang, Eerie
played bass, and Steve played drums. They made four albums: Initium, Unholy Passion, November-Coming-Fire, and Final Descent (which was recorded in 1987, the
same time Danzig was formed). Samhain sounds very similar to the Misfits, but also shows their transition towards Danzig - the band.
Some of the songs recorded by Samhain were also recorded by the Misfits, such as Horror Biz and All Hell Breaks Loose. Personally, I don't
know why he didn't continue under the name Samhain since Eerie was still with him. And also considering John Christ played guitar on tracks 1-5 for Final
Descent. Once again, check out Misfits Central if you want more information on Samhain.
Now - Danzig...
Nice and raw, kinda like Samhain's material in many ways. My favorites are probably Twist of Cain, She Rides, Possession, Evil Thing,
The Hunter, and Mother. This record was released in '88. Quick, raw, stripped, and furious.
Released in '90, Lucifuge opened more peoples eyes to his existance. Mtv actually played 2 videos from this album! Considering they refused
to play Mother and She Rides 2 years earlier, this was somewhat of an accomplishment. My favorite songs on this one are... I like them all.
Very cool album. Released in '92. Standouts: How the Gods Kill, Left Hand Black, Sistinas, and Do You Wear The Mark.
This is a combination of live material: Snakes of Christ, Am I Demon, Sistinas, and Mother along with new material: It's Coming Down, The Violet Fire,
and Trouble (an old Elvis Presley hit). This is also the time most people first heard Mother. I guess this was the proper time... according to MTV. :)
Unfortunately, this is the last release from Glenn, John the Magnificent, Eerie, and Chuck Biscuits. Chuck left almost immediately after it was recorded... or he was fired, it
depends who you ask. This is a fantastic effort. Lots of different sounds and experimentation, and the bass is actually audible. That's it so far. I'll keep working when I get time... Until you call on the dark: benzocaine@geocities.com
Danzig
Danzig 2-Lucifuge
Danzig 3-How the Gods Kill
Thrall-demonsweatlive
Danzig 4
