Danzig

After fronting the Misfits and Samhain to underground renown, Glenn Danzig reached a broader audience through the band Danzig, which carried the horror-infused imagery of his prior projects into more overtly diabolical territory and wrapped his raw yet tuneful compositions in heavy-metal textures. The lineup paired ex-Samhain guitarists John Christ and bassist Eerie Von with drummer Chuck Biscuits, whose résumé included Black Flag, D.O.A., and the Circle Jerks; this configuration showcased Danzig’s commanding, dramatic voice—frequently traced to Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Jim Morrison—and the dark theatricality of his writing. The 1988 debut Danzig and its 1990 successor Danzig II: Lucifuge established the template, increasing the group’s profile, while many listeners regard 1992’s Danzig III: How the Gods Kill as the quintessential statement. The 1993 EP Thrall: Demonsweatlive, blending new studio cuts with concert recordings, delivered a breakthrough MTV staple via its live take on “Mother,” yet 1994’s Danzig 4 closed the chapter for the original roster. Danzig 5: Blackacidevil, issued in 1996, shifted toward industrial textures and expanded Danzig’s own instrumental contributions. Subsequent lineups fluctuated through the late ’90s and into 2010, resulting in inconsistent output, until Deth Red Sabaoth restored a sharper, more purposeful approach reminiscent of the Misfits and Samhain eras. On 2015’s Skeletons and 2020’s Danzig Sings Elvis, Danzig explicitly saluted several formative influences.

Danzig co-established the Misfits in Lodi, New Jersey, in 1977; the group climbed from local obscurity to a leading position in the hardcore scene before disbanding in 1984. Almost at once he launched the heavier, atmospheric Samhain to test fresh sonic avenues, though that project also dissolved. In 1987 the Danzig band was assembled and promptly signed to Rick Rubin’s Def American imprint. Its self-titled debut presented the singer fully inhabiting a Satanic-metal persona, even as the material stayed relatively uniform. Danzig II: Lucifuge arrived in 1990 and widened the palette by elaborating on the debut’s blues-based riffs. Danzig III: How the Gods Kill embraced gothic romanticism, favoring atmospheric mood over straightforward aggression; “Dirty Black Summer” and the title track became fixtures on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball.

Danzig next issued the solo album Black Aria, a quasi-operatic set of classical instrumentals portraying Satan’s expulsion from heaven. Mainstream visibility arrived in 1993 when a concert clip of “Mother”—originally on the debut and reprised live on Thrall: Demonsweatlive—became an unavoidable MTV phenomenon and nearly reached the Billboard Top 40 as a single. Concurrently, Danzig supplied “Thirteen” to Johnny Cash’s 1994 album American Recordings. The more exploratory Danzig 4 entered the charts at number 29 that same year, yet its restrained, atmospheric nuance appealed less to newer fans weaned on the anthemic “Mother,” while some longtime supporters found it overly subdued. During the ensuing tour Chuck Biscuits departed, succeeded by Joey Castillo. Afterward Danzig dissolved the unit and assembled a fresh configuration with ex-Prong guitarist/vocalist Tommy Victor, Castillo on drums, and bassist Josh Lazie; this edition released Danzig 5: Blackacidevil on Halloween 1996. The album vanished from the charts after three weeks. 6:66 Satan’s Child appeared in 1999, followed two years later by Live on the Black Hand Side.

In 2002 and 2004 Danzig issued the leaner 777: I Luciferi and Circle of Snakes, both evoking the stark ferocity of the 1988 debut. Black Aria II surfaced in fall 2006. A twentieth-anniversary tour in 2008 preceded the ninth album, Deth Red Sabaoth, in 2010. By then the lineup had stabilized around Glenn Danzig, Tommy Victor on guitar, Steve Zing on bass, and Johnny Kelly on drums, although Danzig himself continued to play guitar, bass, and keyboards in the studio. Skeletons, a ten-song collection of covers, surfaced in 2015 and featured Danzig-driven versions of Aerosmith’s “Lord of the Thighs,” the Everly Brothers’ “Crying in the Rain,” and Davie Allan & the Arrows’ theme from the 1967 film Devil’s Angels.

In 2016, after years of litigation and personal friction with Misfits bassist Jerry Only—who had fronted his own version of the band since 1996—Danzig headlined Riot Fest in Denver and Chicago as the Original Misfits, joined by guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, second guitarist Acey Slade, and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo. The dates’ success prompted further Original Misfits appearances, including a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden, while Danzig maintained activity with the 2017 release Black Laden Crown. Long an admirer of Elvis Presley, Danzig began tracking Presley covers during sessions initially intended for a tribute EP; the project expanded into the full-length Danzig Sings Elvis, issued in April 2020. Live performances dominated subsequent years, encompassing occasional Misfits concerts and a 2023 tour marking the thirty-fifth anniversary of the first Danzig album, during which the record was performed in its entirety at every stop.