Review by Josh Felty
Rating: ****
The greatest thing about Glenn Danzig is that he never fails at being the heart of Danzig 100%, balls to the wall. From his days at the helm of The Misfits to his most recent dark offering, Death Red Sabaoth, the master of the macabre always brings something to the table. A table that, not surprisingly, is most likely decorated with demon skulls and millions of candles. This most recent release opens with the moving "Hammer of the Gods" and ascends into some jarringly awesome finger-tapping in "Rebel Spirits". "Black Candy" recalls the bluesy influence of Jim Morrison (an icon whom people have always purported to have seeded Danzig, which is untrue) and reminds me somewhat of Type O Negative, in some ways. The horror influence is felt throughout, of course, with the incredible first single "On a Wicked Night" and "Deth Red Moon". "Deth Red Moon" thumps with a blackened heartbeat, whilst "Ju Ju Bone" (impeccable title) recalls The King of Rock 'n Roll with a sinister twist. The atmospheric beauty of "Night Star Hel" is very striking (after some careful research, it seems the reunited band decided against digital recording for an organic, analog production); I can't wait to see the music video for it once it's unleashed. The remarkable pair in "Pyre of Souls: Incanticle" and "Pyre of Souls: Seasons of Pain" are an auditory treat, the former complete with classical guitars, bells, and Glenn's haunting chanting, the latter a powerful, plodding svengali of a song if there ever was one. Have I gone too far in my gushing on this one? I think not, friends, Faithful Readership. For Danzig (the band collectively, as well as the creature himself) are a force to be reckoned with in the world of haunting horror rock. This being the first studio album in six years--with all the original members, no less--it's quite an impressive record. Is it on-par with Demonsweatlive or Danzing 4? I'll let you be the judge, in all honesty. It's safe for me to say that if you're a Danzig fan, you'll truly appreciate Death Red Sabaoth. Now, with that said, I'm going to dive into the depths of Ozzy's latest and hope my everloving soul will remain intact.