#22: Danzig - Danzig

It's taken me far, far too long to even find a copy of the first Danzig record in stores. Seriously, for an album this renowned, you'd think it'd be more accessible. But this is the first time I've ever seen a copy - new or used - in a store. And I've been looking.

For as much of the tone as Glenn Danzig drags over from the Misfits, it's still pretty easy to describe the band Danzig as the Doors by way of Satan. Good times. Inexplicably, the All Music Guide tried to give every single song on this record a different title when I put it in my computer. But once I got the real song titles straight, songs like "Twist of Cain" and "She Rides" and the absolute classic "Mother" rocked as hard and as sleazy as one could possibly hope for.

It's fun to hear how songs like "End of Time" drew from Mercyful Fate's "Melissa" and how "The Hunter" was the obvious predecessor for Priestess' great track "Talk to Her." There's a good bit of grabbing from the past and giving to the future here, and that's what makes a great rock record in my eyes. The guitars are balls-out and the drumming is as solid a backbone as a band could need. It may not be the screeching punk of the Misfits, but as far as straightforward rock goes, Danzig knocks it out of the park with its 1988 debut.

All I need is a little Samhain and I'll have all of the Glenn Danzig bands covered. Maybe I'll make that happen. I guess we'll see what's available. But I have tomorrow's record already, and I can guarantee it's not horror-punk.

"Am I Demon"



"Twist of Cain"



And of course, "Mother"