DANZIG:

'The Killer Wolf'

By JEFF MAKI

Legacy of Brutality
To many, Danzig is best known for the hit “Mother,” which garnered major mainstream success in the '90s. You can still hear it on rock radio today. For any real fan, this is just a needle in the haystack compared to Danzig's important career in both punk rock and heavy metal. Glenn's distinctive, bluesy voice, influenced by Elvis and Jim Morrison among others, is one of the most recognizable in rock music. The following tribute "calls on the dark" and pays homage to the "Brand New God," Glenn Danzig, who will forever be the "Blackest of the Black."


Horror Business
Glenn Danzig has been in the game for 30 years now, running the gamut of rock music from the early punk of the Misfits (1977-1983), the darker punk-metal of Samhain (1983-1987) and his current band, Danzig, along with his forays into classical music with his Black Aria releases. He has influenced the likes of Metallica, AFI, HIM, Guns N' Roses and countless others. There must be more than 100 Misfits cover songs out there today, from underground punk bands to more mainstream acts. There also have been tribute albums, including 1997's Violent World (View album info here), which featured Misfits covers by Snapcase, Pennywise, Prong, Sick Of It All and Earth Crisis, among many others. And who doesn't recognize the Misfits logo, the skull which adorns millions of jackets and T-shirts all over the world. Danzig even once wrote a song for freakin' Johnny Cash!

So why is it that we don't hear more about Danzig on a day-to-day basis? The main reason is that Glenn Danzig prefers to remain underground or damn near invisible, if you will. The work speaks for itself. I honestly cannot remember ever reading anything positive or hearing any bands giving Glenn Danzig his due credit other than A.F.I., who in their earlier days were outspoken of his influence (one of the main reasons I still have respect for that band). Why? Are people scared of Glen Danzig? Quite possibly. Seeing him live in concert is quite the spectacle, with the shirtless, muscle-bound brute stomping around stage amidst items ablaze in the audience and his legions of loyal fans erupting in violent mosh pits. Hell, I was at a show way back in 1994, I believe, (Danzig/Type O Negative/Godflesh) and promptly received a blatant elbow to the chest which made me pass out several times over the course of a few hours. Danzig went on to give an amazing performance, one of the most memorable of my concert experiences. Keep in mind this was just the Danzig-era material, no Misfits or Samhain.

So what is it about Danzig that causes him to remain almost anonymous among rock outlets and media? The fact is people are scared of Glenn Danzig. He invented the genre of horror-punk with The Misfits, a genre which is still going strong today. The subject matter of his songs surpasses Black Sabbath, or any other of the more accessible metal bands, with songs about Satan, death, darkness and the occult. Also, how hard must it be for a band to remotely sound like Glenn Danzig? He has been called the new Elvis among rock and metal fans with his soulful, heartfelt lyrics and vocals and it is almost impossible to imitate him without being a blatant rip-off (something A.F.I. was often accused of before becoming more mainstream with recent releases). And no one--and I mean no one--can write a ballad like Danzig (see “Can't Speak,” “Blood and Tears” and “Sistinas”).

Until You Call On the Dark
I could write 10 pages about Danzig and his feats in the rock world. However, I recommend you check out the following albums to give you an overview of this man's great career:

The Misfits - Static Age



The songs that eventually became The Misfits' Static Age were released over the course of several years via singles and compilations but became an official record release in 1997. This album defines the Misfits horror-punk, featuring the classics, “Last Caress” (now a popular Metallica cover and live staple), “Attitude” (covered by Guns 'N Roses on The Spaghetti Incident), “Return of the Fly,” and “Teenagers From Mars.” There have been many Misfits box sets and greatest hits releases (and they are all great pieces), but this is the quintessential Misfits album to own.

Samhain - Initium



After the horror punk of The Misfits came Samhain, which retained many elements of the Misifts, while leaning to a much darker side. Samhain proved to be the stepping stone for Danzig's evolution into heavy metal. The Samhain album to get your hands on is Initium, featuring Minor Threat guitarist, Lyle Preslar on select tracks. Listening to this is a bit strange, as it is the Misfits, but not really, if you know what I mean. Hell, it even features “Horror Biz,” an update of the Misfits classic “Horror Business.”

Danzig (solo) - Danzig II: Lucifuge




Danzig III: How the Gods Kill



This man is perhaps best known for his work as a solo artist. Whether if that is because it is the best stage of his career or simply the most recent is up for debate. Danzig took all of his ideas and and made it make sense. Darker issues are covered here, and the band's bluesy, metal guitar sound has gone unmatched over the last decade thanks to the former, longtime guitarist John Christ. The essential Danzig solo releases are Danzig II: Lucifuge (1990) and Danzig III: How The Gods Kill (1992). These albums encompass a man on a mission of pure soulful darkness and a band completely adept at conveying his ideas with a masterful mix of blues and metal. Danzig II, which many fans claim is his best release, features the evil, brooding “Her Black Wings,” (check out the bad-ass video for this song if you get the chance) “Snakes of Christ,” “Killer Wolf” and “Devil's Plaything.” It was at this time that the band started to gain national exposure on Headbangers Ball, among other outlets, and metal fans really started to notice Glenn, even if they had no clue of his previous endeavors. Danzig III features the dark groove of “Dirty Black Summer,” the sinister headbanger “Left Hand Black” and the soulful ballad “Sistinas.” This release marks the peak of Danzig's great career as a solo artist.

The Blackacidevil
From this point on until today, Danzig changed his sound and saw long-time members Eerie Von, John Christ and Chuck Biscuits exit the fold. An array of new musicians including Tommy Victor (Prong) has carried on the torch and helped Danzig transform into more of an industrial-goth-metal band, releasing albums like Blackaciddevil, Satan's Child, I Luciferi, and 2004's Circle of Snakes. This new sound has been met with partial criticism from fans, but the bottom line is that it's still the man: Danzig. At this point, his legacy in the world of rock n' roll is already carved in stone and anything else he chooses to put his foot in is just an added bonus.

Satan's Child
In the last few years, despite not releasing his strongest solo efforts, Glenn created the Blackest of the Black tour, an event which has featured “real” dark, extreme metal artists such as Behemoth, The Haunted, Belphegor, Opeth, Superjoint Ritual, Lacuna Coil and Nile to mention a few. He also has ventured into comics with his Verotik series and released the second part to his classical Black Aria release. Future plans include a double live album, as well as a two-disc set of lost tracks from Danzig. I'll be snatching that up the day it's released.

A Long Way Back From Hell
Danzig was in the news recently when a backstage video of an altercation between himself and a member of the North Side Kings (who the fuck?) surfaced. Danzig received negative publicity for this as it seems he was on the wrong end of the scrum. I've seen this video and it clearly looks as if Glenn slipped and got the raw end of the deal. Despite all the hype, this is meaningless compared to his great and important musical career. Please don't let something so stupid interfere with your appreciation for the man as an artist.

Heart of the Devil
So maybe Glenn is an asshole? Maybe he's hard to get along with? I don't know him personally, but I would jump at the chance to interview him for Live-Metal.net. We'll see what we can do about that. All I know is that Glenn Danzig has left an everlasting impression on the music world, crossing multiple genres. And if you metalheads haven't checked out his pre-solo work with The Misfits or Samhain, what are you waiting for? "The Killer Wolf" has left a "Legacy of Brutality" and if there's any (in)sanity in the world, he will someday be truly recognized for his accomplishments.

Sources and related links:

Wikipedia (Danzig)

Official Danzig Website (Danzig-Verotik.com)

The 7th House (Official Danzig Fansite)

Blackest of the Black Tour Official Site

Misfits Official Website

Samhain Info

Verotik Comicbook Official Site

Watch Danzig Videos:

"Mother"

"She Rides"

"Her Black Wings"

"Killer Wolf"

"Can't Speak"

View more Danzig videos here on YouTube.