It didn't sound like anything in the metal world, either: At a time of peak hairspray and maximum shred, the debut release from Glenn Danzig's latest musical incarnation was all about sweaty blues and controlled menace, delivered with a demonic thrust that made all the pretty boys with electric toys sound even flimsier and more fatuous than they already were. Although it sounds like classic hard rock today, Danzig seemed almost unclassifiable at the time.
In fact, some longtime fans of Danzig's work had difficulty wrapping their heads and ears around Danzig when it first hit the streets. Produced by Rick Rubin, whose Def American imprint also released it, the album — which peaked at on the Billboard in the fall of '88 — was slower, harder, heavier, cleaner and more spacious than anything Danzig had recorded with the Misfits or Samhain, with the music deliberately arranged to let his powerful pipes dominate the proceedings.
Songs like "Twist of Cain," "Am I Demon," "She Rides" and "The Hunter" were closer in sound and spirit to the heavy early Seventies rock that Danzig and Rubin had grown up with, while "Mother" was commercial-sounding enough to eventually become the biggest hit of the Evil Elvis' career.
And we did it, or I hope we did it. Thirty years later, it's safe to say that Danzig and Rubin accomplished their mission. Not only is the Danzig LP still Danzig's most popular record, but — unlike so many metal and hard rock records of the late Eighties — it still sounds fantastic.
So in honor of the 30th anniversary of its unholy birth, here are 10 things you probably didn't know about Danzig , and the events that led to its creation. Basically, he came in after our set and said, 'I want to sign you, you guys are great! While considering offers from Elektra and Epic, as well as Rubin's Def Jam imprint, the band began work on the provisionally titled Samhain IV , which was originally slated to include several songs that would eventually appear on Danzig.
Two future Danzig songs, "Twist of Cain" and "Possession," were initially demoed in September at Reel Platinum studios in Lodi, New Jersey, with Danzig on vocals and guitar and the Samhain rhythm section of Eerie Von and London May on bass and drums, respectively; Samhain guitarist Damien had already been sacked from the band. Danzig had no idea who Rick Rubin was before the Def Jam owner approached him about signing to his label Though Rick Rubin had already established himself as a rising industry talent by the summer of , thanks to his production work with rappers LL Cool J and Run-DMC, and his founding of the influential Def Jam imprint with hip-hop promoter Russell Simmons, Danzig had never heard of him before their paths crossed at The Ritz.
I knew the Beastie Boys, but I didn't know he was working with them. Here's this guy with a long ZZ Top beard going crazy backstage and I'm like, 'Who the fuck is this guy? Soon afterwards, Danzig met with Rubin at Def Jam's offices.
It was great. He likes bands for the reasons that I like bands: Music that's aggressive and violent. Rick Rubin was not a Misfits fan — or even a Samhain fan, for that matter Though Rubin raved backstage at The Ritz about wanting to sign Samhain, the truth was that he really only wanted to sign Glenn Danzig, and build a new group around him.
But I always knew that Glenn was a great singer and that he had great songwriting potential that hadn't been fully realized. All I want to do is sign you. He and Rubin also decided that this new outfit should bear his name. We should just call it Danzig. I'll never have to change the name again. He beat out all the competition, so he got it.
Rick really liked him, [ and ] I liked his leads better than anyone else's. Once Christ officially joined the band in February , only the drum stool remained open. Danzig had two top choices: Chuck Biscuits, who had previously played with D. Philthy, we decided, might be kind of old and set in his ways. He might not listen if you said, 'Play that this way. And Chuck Biscuits was available. Though Danzig generally played coy in interviews about whether or not the recording had any real effect on his career, he genuinely appreciated Metallica's support.
So when James Hetfield offered to lend his vocal services to the recording of Danzig , Danzig was more than happy to take him up on it. He said he wanted to come along. Naturally, MTV freaked out and pulled the video from rotation. This effectively stunted the trajectory of both the album and the band, who would slog away for years as underground cult sensations rather than mainstream contenders.
With my background I could have done something really wild. Danzig did have the last laugh, though. The surge of interest pushed Danzig to number 43 on mainstream rock charts in the US and propelled their debut to gold-selling status in So occasionally, Mother does know best.
Give her a call and try to refrain from yelling down the phone like a combination of Tarzan and Scooby Doo. Four nights. A throwback Bring Me The Horizon set. Bands picked by them. Colour us there…. Remember when Danzig unleashed the mother of all music videos? Wargasm in The K! Code Orange release crushing new single Out For Blood.
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