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Danzig (Album) by Danzig

Artist Biography For Danzig

Danzig Is A Heavy Metal Band From The United States Formed In 1987 In Lodi New Jersey. The Band Serves As A Musical Outlet For Singer/composer Glenn Danzig And Their Music Fuses Dark Lyrics And Imagery With Blues Influenced Music. Danzig Can Be Seen As The Third Stage In Glenn Danzig's Musical Career Preceded By The Punk Band The Misfits And The Deathrock Band Samhain. On July 14 1986 Samhain Performed What Was To Be Their Final Show At The Ritz In New York City. In Attendance Was Rick Rubin Who Was Scouting For Potential Bands To Sign To His Record Label Def Jam. Upon Viewing Samhain's Performance Rubin Was Impressed With Glenn Danzig's Powerful Stage Persona And Vocal Abilities. He Approached Him After The Show And Propositioned Him. At First He Wished Only To Sign Danzig With The Intent Of Making Him The Vocalist For A Heavy Metal Supergroup That Rubin Envisioned. However Danzig Refused To Sign To Rubin's Label Without Samhain's Bassist Eerie Von Whom Glenn Had Become Great Friends With. Rubin Agreed To Sign Samhain And He Began Making Suggestions For The New Direction He Felt The Band Should Take. Rubin Felt The Music Should Be Stripped Down And That Glenn's Vocal Talents Should Become The Focal Point For The Band. In 1987 The Band Evolved Into A Solid Heavy Metal Act With The Addition Of John Christ On Guitar And Chuck Biscuits Ex-Black Flag On Drums. In Order To Avoid A Potential Lawsuit Over Royalties From Past Samhain Members And Also Due To The Change In Musical Direction Glenn Decided To Change The Name Of The Band To Danzig. Original Lineup Having Formed And Begun Recording As Danzig The Previous Year In 1988 The Band Released Its First Album Simply Titled Danzig On Rick Rubin's Newly Formed Label Def American Later Renamed To American Recordings . The Album Featured Polished Production By Rick Rubin With Heavy Blues-Based Guitar Riffs And Glenn's Powerful And Melodic Vocal Performance--A Harsh Contrast To The Gritty Raw Sounding Production Of Samhain's Albums. The Album Was Released To Lukewarm Reviews But Is Now Considered By Many Heavy Metal Publications To Be Among The Best Hard Rock Albums Of All Time. In 1990 Danzig Released Their Sophomore Album Danzig II Lucifuge The Band's Most Diverse LP. Here The Music Continued To Blur The Lines Between Classic Blues And Hard Rock And It Featured Some Of The Best Vocal Performances Of Glenn's Career. By 1992 Rick Rubin's Involvement With The Band Had Waned And Glenn Danzig Took Credit For Producing The Third Album Danzig III How The Gods Kill Which Many Fans See As The Pinnacle Of The Danzig Catalog. The Album Continued The Unique Sound Established With The First Two But The Music And Lyrics Had Become Darker Containing Gothic Overtones. During This Time Glenn Became Fond Of Singing In A Throaty Bellow Which He Says Was Inspired By Classic Blues Singers. Fans Jokingly Named This Singing Style Glenn's "cookie Monster" Voice Due To Its Resemblance To The Gruff Voice Of The Cookie Monster From Sesame Street. This Vocal Style Can Be Heard Prominently On The Thrall Demonsweatlive EP Which Contained Several Live Tracks From The Band's 1992 Halloween Show As Well As Three New Studio Tracks. The "Thrall" EP Contained A Surprise Hit For The Band When The Live Version Of Mother Originally Recorded On The First Danzig Album Became Popular On Hard Rock Radio Stations. A New Version Of The "Mother" Music Video Was Created Using Live Footage And The Video Became An Instant Hit On MTV Pushing Danzig Into The Mainstream. With Danzig In The Mainstream Spotlight Controversy Surrounding The Nature Of Glenn Danzig's Lyrics And Imagery Increased. Conservative Christian Groups Accused Danzig Of Being A Satanist With Obvious Intentions To Persuade Impressionable Youths Over To The "left Hand Path". Danzig Shrugged Off The Controversy As A Humorous Annoyance And Often Made Light Of It. Glenn Has Repeatedly Denied Accusations Of Being A Satanist Saying That He Is Fascinated By The Nature Of Evil And Merely Finds Satan To Be An Interesting Figure In Christian Theology. In October 1993 The Band Entered The Studio To Record Their Fourth Studio Album. Glenn Received Pressure From The Record Executives To Write Songs In The Same Vein As "Mother " But He Was Determined Not To Backtrack His Musical Progression. Rick Rubin Had Become Increasingly Distant From The Band And Had Little Involvement In The Recording Of The Fourth Album. In 1994 Danzig 4P Was Released. The Album Was Darker Much More Atmospheric Than The Band's Previous Releases And More Experimental As Well. While It Sold Well It Did Not Contain A Hit On Par With The "Mother" Single. The Album's Second Single Cantspeak Was Also A Staple In MTV's Rotation Even Making The Buzz Bin And It Charted On The Rock Charts Although Unlike "Mother" It Failed To Appear On The Hot 100. "Cantspeak" Is The Band's Only Single Other Than "Mother" To Chart On Billboard Thus Making The Band A Two-Hit Wonder Of The Mainstream Scene. Danzig's Relationship With Rick Rubin Deteriorated And Danzig Was Dropped From The Label. Around This Time The Band's Lineup Began To Dissolve As Well. First Chuck Biscuits Left Due To Royalty Disagreements With Glenn Leaving The Band Part Way Through The Danzig 4 Tour. He Was Quickly Replaced By Joey Castillo. In 1995 John Christ Left After Learning That Glenn Was Actively Seeking A Replacement Guitarist. At The Same Time Eerie Von Left Of His Own Accord Ending What Most Fans Consider The Classic Era Of The Band. Glenn Danzig Has Said That It Was Always His Intention To Have A Revolving Line-Up But It Just So Happened That The Original Lineup Remained Intact For Much Longer Than He Had Expected. Since The End Of The Classic Era Each Danzig Album Has Featured A Different Band Lineup. Rotating Lineups In 1996 Danzig 5 Blackacidevil A Play On The Phrase "Black As A Devil" Was Released Surprising Many With Its Heavy Emphasis On Industrial Rock. Glenn Has Stated That Rick Rubin Had Been Keeping Him From Experimenting With Electronics On Earlier Danzig Releases And So With The Fifth Album Glenn Was Eager To Indulge In Industrial Sounds Unimpeded. The Album Was Mostly A Solo Effort By Glenn Although Jerry Cantrell Of Alice In Chains Played Lead Guitar On Three Of The Album's Tracks While Drum Duties Were Handled By Joey Castillo The Sole Member Still In The Band From The 4p Tour Joey Would Go On To Record On Two More Danzig Albums Making Him The Longest Standing Member Outside Of The Classic Lineup . Most Danzig Fans Were Disappointed With The Album Presumably Due To The Drastic Departure From The Sound Of The First Four Releases. Additionally Many Fans Viewed Glenn's Vocals As The Highlight Of The Band--And Throughout Most Of Blackacidevil Glenn's Voice Is Buried Under Layers Of Effects. Other Fans Embraced The Album And Saw It As Glenn Returning To The More Experimental Style Of Samhain. The Album Is The Most Controversial Of The Bands Back Catalogue And The Music Therein Is Often Referred To As Being "Techno Danzig". The Next Couple Years Saw Danzig Tied Up In A Legal Battle With Rick Rubin Over The Rights To The Unreleased Material The Band Produced Under American Recordings. After Winning Back The Rights Danzig Entered The Studio To Record The Sixth Full Length Album. In November 1999 Danzig 6 66 Satan's Child Was Released With Mixed Reactions From Fans And Critics. It Featured Dark And Heavy Doom Metal Accented By Mild Electronics With Danzig Singing In An Uncharacteristic Harsh Whispery Tone For Most Of The Album. Some Critics And Fans Have Described The Sound The Album As Being Similiar To Nu Metal A Genre Of Heavy Music That Glenn Danzig Is Well Known To Detest. This Comparison Is Often Linked To The Fact That Much Of The Album Was Produced By Jay Gordon And Amir Derakh Of The Electropop/nu Metal Band Orgy. One Of The Tracks On Danzig 6 66 Satan's Child Is Thirteen A Song Danzig Wrote For Johnny Cash In 1994. New Millennium 2000-Present By 2000 Danzig's Line Up Had Stabilized With The Addition Of Guitarist Todd Youth And Bassist Howie Pyro Both Veterans Of The New York City Punk Scene. In 2002 This Line Up Released The Album Danzig 777 I Luciferi. The Album Was Devoid Of Electronics And Contained Some Of The Darkest And Heaviest Songs Of Danzig's Career. Some Of The Later Tracks On I Luciferi Harkened Back To The Classic Sound Of The Band And Many Fans Heralded It As A Return To Form Although Some Were Disappointed With The Album's Production Quality. In 2004 Danzig Released Their Eighth Studio Album Circle Of Snakes Which Along With The Previous Album Many Fans View As Glenn's Best Work Since The Classic Era Of The Band. On Circle Of Snakes The Line Up Was Again Re-Written And Now Featured Tommy Victor From Prong On Guitar. The Sound Evolved Again And Here Tommy Victor’s Guitar Seemed To Be The Dominant Force On Each Song. Some Critics Had A Problem With The Mixing Of The Album Citing That The Vocals And Drums Often Seemed To Be Buried Under The Multiple Layered Guitar Tracks. Danzig Then Set Out Headlining The Blackest Of The Black Tour Across The United States. "The Blackest Of The Black" Was A Package Set Up By Glenn Danzig As A Way To Help Some Of His Favorite Dark Underground Bands Gain More Exposure While Providing Fans Of Heavy Music An Alternative To Ozzfest Which Glenn Felt Had Become Oversaturated With Commercialized Nu Metal Acts. During The 2005 Blackest Of The Black Dates Halfway Through The Danzig Set The Band Was Joined By Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein The Misfits' Most Iconic Guitarist For A Set Of Classic Misfits Songs. These Shows Were The First Time Glenn Had Played With Doyle In Over Twenty Years And Many Of These Shows Were Sold Out. Though The Album Has Been Out For Almost 3 Years The Blackest Of The Black Tour Still Seems To Be Going On. Danzig Has Ended The Bonus Sets With Doyle But Has Selected New Bands To Play Alongside Him From All Around The World Including Asesino From Mexico Belphegor From Austria The Haunted From Sweden And Lacuna Coil From Italy. Glenn Danzig Says He Is Ready To Take A Break From Touring Perhaps Permanently To Work On Other Projects And Produce Other Bands. Currently Glenn Is Working On His Feature Film Ge Rouge". He Has Also Been Putting The Finishing Touches On His Second Solo Album Black Aria II Follow-Up To Black Aria . He Has Stated In Several Recent Interviews That After He Finishes Ge Rouge He Will Begin Putting Together The Lost Tracks Of Danzig A Double CD Containing Around Thirty Unreleased Songs That Span The Entire Danzig Catalog. Glenn Has Also Stated That He And Jerry Cantrell Have Been Discussing The Possibility Of Teaming Up To Write And Record An Album Of Dark Blues Songs. Group Members * Glenn Danzig - Vocals Guitar Keyboards 1987-Present * Johnny Kelly - Drums 2005-Present * Kenny Hickey - Guitar 2006-Present * Steve Zing - Bass 2006-Present * Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein - Guest Guitarist Former Members * Eerie Von - Bass * Josh Lazie - Bass * Rob Nicholson - Bass * Howie Pyro - Bass * Jerry Montano - Bass * John Christ - Guitar * Dave Kushner - Guitar 1997 * Tommy Victor - Guitar * Jeff Chambers - Guitar * Joe Fraulob - Guitar * Todd Youth - Guitar * Chuck Biscuits - Drums * Joey Castillo - Drums * Charlee Johnson - Drums 2002 * Bevan Davies - Drums Discography Albums
Year Title Notes
1988 Danzig Debut Album. US #125
1990 Danzig II - Lucifuge US#74
1992 Danzig III - How The Gods Kill US #24
1994 Danzig 4P Final Recording With The Original Line-Up And Release On American Recordings. US #29
1996 Danzig 5 Blackacidevil Alice In Chains Guitarist Jerry Cantrell Makes A Guest Appearance On This Album. US #41
1999 Danzig 6 66 Satan's Child US #149
2002 Danzig 777 I Luciferi US #158
2004 Circle Of Snakes US #183
2010 Deth Red Sabaoth Compilations EPs And Live Albums
Year Title Notes
1993 Thrall Demonsweatlive EP Plus Live Tracks.
1996 Sacrifice EP Re-Issued With 3 Bonus Tracks In 2000.
2001 Live On The Black Hand Side Live Double Album.
2007 The Lost Tracks Of Danzig 1 2 Double-CD Will Include Unreleased Tracks From. External Links * Danzig Official Site * Danzig At Encyclopaedia Metallum

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Frogtoon Music Album Info: Danzig

Danzig Is The 1988 Debut Album Of The American Heavy Metal Band Danzig Led By Glenn Danzig Who Was Formerly The Songwriter And Vocalist Of The Misfits And Samhain. The Album Was Also The First Release On Producer Rick Rubin's New Label Def American Recordings. Def American's Successor American Recordings Reissued The Album In The USA And UK In 1998. It Was Recorded At Atlantic Recording Studios And Chung King Metal And Mixed At Smoke Tree And Village. The Song "Mother" Retitled As "Mother '93" And With Live Audience Overdubs Became A Hit On Radio And MTV In 1993-94 After A New Video-Single With Live Footage Was Created To Mark Its Inclusion On Thrall Demonsweatlive The Song Was Also Later Included On Various Hard-Rock/heavy Metal/alternative Music Compilations Including The Video Games Grand Theft Auto San Andreas Guitar Hero II To Which A Final Solo Was Added In This Case And True Crime New York City. Danzig Is The Band's Best-Selling Album And Was Certified Gold In The U.S. In 1994. Thrall Demonsweatlive Was Certified Gold At The Same Time Although It Later Reached Platinum Status It Is Categorized As An EP Not A Full Album Original LP CD And Cassette Versions Of The Album Cover Had No Writing Or Identifying Text Whatsoever Only A White Skull On A Black Background. Later Pressings Of The Compact Disc Added The Danzig Band Name Logo In The Lower Right. While 1990-1998 Pressings Of The CD Had The Parental Advisory Label In The Form Of A Sticker On The Cellophane Wrap Pressings Since 1998 Have The Label Printed On The Artwork. Danzig Is One Of Few Albums Labeled As "explicit" Despite The Virtual Absence Of Profanity Save For One Use Of "whore". While The Album's Liner Notes Expressly State "All Songs Written By Glenn Danzig" One Song "The Hunter" Was Written By Booker T. Jones Carl Wells Al Jackson Steve Cropper & Donald Dunn. Originally Performed By Booker T. & The M.G.S The Danzig Version Of The Song Only Features Slightly-Modified Lyrics. James Hetfield Singer And Guitarist Of Metallica Sang The Background Vocals On "Twist Of Cain" And "Possession" Although Was Uncredited For Contractual Reasons. Music Videos Were Released For The Songs Twist Of Cain Am I Demon Mother And She Rides. Upon Its Release The Video For "Mother" Was Banned By MTV For Containing Controversial Imagery.