Danzig Deth Red Sabaoth
by Derric Miller
Staff Writer
So it’s been six years since Glenn Danzig’s most mainstream band, Danzig, has released their last studio album. Like Rob Zombie, Glenn Danzig is a dark Renaissance Man who dabbles in arts outside of the musical realm, and like Rob Zombie, when he brings his focus back to the music … it’s well worth the wait. The new studio effort, Deth Red Sabaoth, was produced by Glenn himself with a rawer, organic, less mechanized sound, endowing the black hymns with a morose honesty you rarely hear in music today.
The first song, “Hammer of the Gods,” is a heavy Doom track, and it is obvious when Danzig’s voice slides into its bluesy, melodic ferocity that the man still owns one of the most unique voices in all of Metal. The chorus is sort of chaotic, with Misfits-like, messy backing vocals accompanying Danzig’s forceful singing. About two minutes in, you will think it is Candlemass and not Danzig, as the Doom drips from every note. This is what you’d expect from Danzig, yet “Hammer of the Gods” exceeds expectations anyway.
The next couple songs, surprisingly, are about as akin to filler you will ever find on a Danzig album, but that all fades to black when you wrap your ears around “Black Candy.” The sexual groove, the pumping rhythms and of course Danzig’s lustful bellows mark this as one of the best songs Danzig has recorded in years. While a musical expert, Danzig knows you can simplify the composition and still make it remarkable, and “Black Candy” is both. With the rampaging drums from Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative, Seventh Void), the sheer Bacchanalian undertones of “Black Candy” are unmistakeable.
And somehow … it gets better, as you roll onto “On A Wicked Night.” This track begins as a slow acoustic mid-tempo composition, and Danzig takes the throatiness out of his voice, softens the blow, oozing just blues and melody. Neither Elvis nor Morrison, he’s still in the same vocal playground as those two gents on this track. Albeit a tad repetitive, it’s still one of the best songs on Deth Red Sabaoth.
The song that is perchance the most “fun” is “Ju Ju Bone.” Noisy, thumping, and one of grooviest songs on the album, it should be a hit for the band, considering songs like “Mother” and “Twist of Cain.” Yes, it is comparable to the classic Danzig hits. Guitarist Tommy Victor’s solo is one of the strongest on the release as he rails on a massive, heated solo. As the song blisters to the close, Victor flaunting his skills with impressive leads and Danzig unleashing his full-throated madness, you’ll come back to this one again and again.
“Pyre of Souls: Incanticle” is going to end up in some horror movie. It’s made for the abyss, a hymnal to the bottomless pit, yet still melodic as Danzig vocalizes passages that are not words, but just notes. His high end is much richer and broader than you may expect — just try to hum along.
The final dirge here is “Left Hand Rise Above,” a churning, mid-tempo composition that will bottom out your subs. Both soothing and brutal, flowing from poetic verses to manic choruses, “Left Hand Rise Above” encapsulates everything unparalleled about the Danzig sound. Of course, you don’t need to reach to find the Biblical imagery here, should you choose to see, feel and embrace it.
Deth Red Sabaoth is the rarity that grows colder, stronger, harsher and more enthralling with each listen. On the surface, it’s a damn good album. Once you peel back the veneer and dig deeper, stare harder, and invite it in … Deth Red Sabaoth may be the best Danzig release written in a decade or two.
Label: Evilive/The End Records
Online: www.danzig-verotik.com
Band:
Glenn Danzig (bass, drums, guitar, keyboards, vocals)
Johnny Kelly (drums)
Tommy Victor (bass, guitar)
Steve Zing (bass)
Track listing:
01. Hammer Of The Gods
02. The Revengeful
03. Rebel Spirits
04. Black Candy
05. On A Wicked Night
06. Deth Red Moon
07. Ju Ju Bone
08. Night Star Hel
09. Pyre Of Souls: Incanticle
10. Pyre Of Souls: Seasons Of Pain
11. Left Hand Rise Above
Hardrock Haven rating: 8.4/10