Danzig

Danzig is a heavy metal group from Lodi, United States, active from 1987 to the present. It is the musical outlet for singer and composer Glenn Danzig and marks the third stage of his career, after the punk band The Misfits and the deathrock group Samhain. The band’s music combines dark lyrics and imagery with blues-influenced heavy music, and it is associated with hard rock, heavy metal, horror punk, metal and rock.

Formation and early line-up

The band forms in 1987 after the end of Samhain, when Rick Rubin sees Glenn Danzig perform at The Ritz in New York City and becomes interested in working with him. Rubin initially wants Danzig as the vocalist for a heavy metal supergroup, but Danzig refuses to sign without Samhain bassist Eerie Von. Rubin agrees, and the new project takes shape with a stripped-down approach that puts Glenn Danzig’s voice at the centre. John Christ joins on guitar and Chuck Biscuits on drums, creating the original Danzig line-up.

Early albums and mainstream visibility

The band’s first album, Danzig, comes out in 1988 on Def American, the label later known as American Recordings. It features polished production, blues-based guitar riffs and a stronger, more melodic vocal style than Samhain’s recordings. In 1990, Danzig II: Lucifuge follows, expanding the sound further. Danzig III: How the Gods Kill appears in 1992 and adds darker gothic overtones. Around this period, Glenn Danzig develops a throaty vocal style inspired by classic blues singers, later nicknamed his “cookie monster” voice by fans.

The Thrall: Demonsweatlive EP includes live recordings from the band’s 1992 Halloween show and three studio tracks. A live version of “Mother”, originally from the first album, becomes a hard rock radio hit, and a new video using live footage gains heavy play on MTV. That exposure brings the band wider attention and also increases controversy around Glenn Danzig’s lyrics and imagery, which some conservative Christian groups accuse of Satanism. Glenn Danzig rejects those accusations and says he is interested in evil as a subject and in Satan as a figure in Christian theology.

Line-up changes and later records

Danzig 4P is released in 1994. It is darker, more atmospheric and more experimental than the earlier albums, and the single “Cantspeak” also reaches the rock charts. It is the only other Danzig single besides “Mother” to chart on Billboard. By this stage the band’s relationship with Rick Rubin worsens, and Danzig is dropped from the label. The original line-up also begins to split: Chuck Biscuits leaves after royalty disagreements and is replaced by Joey Castillo, then John Christ departs in 1995 after learning Glenn Danzig is looking for another guitarist, and Eerie Von also leaves, ending what many fans regard as the classic era.

From then on, each Danzig album uses a different line-up. Danzig 5: Blackacidevil arrives in 1996 and moves heavily into industrial rock, with Glenn Danzig taking a more solo role. Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains plays lead guitar on three tracks, and Joey Castillo handles drums. The album divides listeners because it departs sharply from the earlier sound and buries the vocals under effects. It is later known by some fans as “Techno Danzig”.

After a legal dispute with Rick Rubin over unreleased material, the band returns with Danzig 6:66 Satan’s Child in 1999. The record mixes dark heavy doom metal with mild electronics, and Jay Gordon and Amir Derakh of Orgy help produce it. One track, “Thirteen”, is a song Glenn Danzig writes for Johnny Cash in 1994.

2000s and beyond

By 2000, the line-up includes guitarist Todd Youth and bassist Howie Pyro, both with backgrounds in the New York punk scene. This group releases Danzig 777: I Luciferi in 2002, a record with no electronics and some of the band’s heaviest material. Circle of Snakes follows in 2004, with Tommy Victor of Prong on guitar. The sound changes again, with Victor’s playing becoming a dominant feature.

Danzig also launches the Blackest of the Black tour, a travelling package designed to showcase underground heavy bands and offer an alternative to Ozzfest, which Glenn Danzig criticises for overusing commercial nu metal acts. During part of the 2005 dates, Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein joins the band for Misfits songs. These shows mark the first time Glenn Danzig and Doyle play together in more than twenty years. Later touring line-ups include Johnny Kelly on drums, Kenny Hickey on guitar and Steve Zing on bass.

Later releases and line-up history

The band’s later releases include Deth Red Sabaoth in 2010, along with live, EP and compilation releases such as Sacrifice, Live on the Black Hand Side and The Lost Tracks of Danzig. Over the years, Danzig’s membership remains fluid and includes a long list of players such as Eerie Von, Josh Lazie, Dave Kushner, Blasko, Tommy Victor, Jeff Chambers, Howie Pyro, Todd Youth, Charlee Johnson, Johnny Kelly, Jerry Montano, Bevan Davies, Joe Fraulob, Ken Hickey and Steve Zing, alongside Glenn Danzig, John Christ, Joey Castillo and Chuck Biscuits. The group’s catalogue moves between heavy metal, hard rock, horror punk and darker, more experimental forms of rock and metal, while Glenn Danzig remains the constant figure throughout its history.