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By JEFF MAKI
Longtime fans of Danzig, including me, still await the day when this man gets his due. Where's the respect? The recognition? Of course, there were The Misfits, in which Danzig started the subgenre of horror-punk. Then Samhain, which introduced a dark, yet simplistic style of punk-metal. And ,of course, there is Danzig's solo career, which made him a household name for metal fans and secured his stature as a living legend with classic albums and numerous hits branded with his dark, bluesy metal. Fans have known for a while that over the years Danzig has stockpiled recorded material that never saw the light of day (with the exception of a few leaked songs). But now these “lost” tracks finally get their official release. The tracks were finished, remastered and readied for release over the course of nine months. The Lost Tracks of Danzig is a two-disc set with fantastic packaging, including a large booklet that tells a brief history behind each song. The songs are in chronological order starting with two never-released Samhain tracks, “Pain is Like an Animal” and “When Death Had No Name,” and follows the timeline all the way to Circle of Snakes. However, no Misfits material is included here.
Before listening, I passed judgment, thinking that the first disc would contain all the gems of this release. After all, almost any Danzig follower would tell you that Danzig I-IV are the strongest albums of his solo career, and the songs on disc one are from that era. So they have to be great, right? “Angel of the 7th Dawn” (also the name of Danzig's fan club), “You Should Be Dying” and darker ballads “Cold Cold Rain” and “Warlok” are all outstanding additions to the Danzig catalog. I wonder if every band has songs this great that never made it onto their albums. My guess is no. But a few of the tracks fall flat and it's apparent why they were never released until now. Still, each song brings something different to the compilation, and overall it's great to hear new (old) Danzig. Surprisingly, it's the second disc, representative of Danzig's recent releases, that features the essential “lost tracks.” If anything, these songs sound more in line with his earlier, classic albums. “Lick the Blood Off My Hands” starts disc two with a dirty, raunchy feel, close to “Dirty Black Summer,” and there's no looking back from there. This song actually was recorded for Blackaciddevil. “Crawl Across the Killing Floor” is the album's first single/video, and once again, the bluesy guitar riff and emotional lyrics feel like classic Danzig. “Bound by Blood” is an instant Danzig classic and has all the elements of such. It is the most memorable song of the collection. “Malifical” and “Souleater” are also standouts. Not to take away from disc one, but disc two could have solely been The Lost Tracks of Danzig and I would have been more than satisfied. At two discs and 26 songs, fans get more than their money's worth.
With any collection like this, you always get a few odds and ends. Here you get Danzig covers of The Germs' “Caught in My Eye” and T-Rex's “Buick McKane,” along with an alternate version of “Deep,” which originally appeared on the X-Files soundtrack. An acoustic version of “Come to Silver” and a remix of “Unspeakable” are also here. They're both kind of neat, I suppose.
Was there something I missed on the last few Danzig records? Though still solid, I never thought they held a candle to the first four releases. But after hearing these lost tracks from that era, I am eager to listen to them again. After disc one I was mildly disappointed but still content. After disc two, it became apparent that not only is The Lost Tracks of Danzig a great collection to round out the Danzig catalog and further add to a stellar career, but it is essential for fans. Danzig followers will be absolutely mesmerized by some of these tracks. This is not just a gift from Glenn Danzig; it's almost like a gift from Satan himself.
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