Building off of yesterday's post, I thought I'd once again pounce on well-traveled ground in the blog: Black Sabbath. Not only Sabbath, but also what I've seen from the solo bands of two of their front men- Ozzy and Dio. I'm leaving off the time I saw Deep Purple- even though I like Born Again (and Purple for that matter), I feel like it is a VERY sperate thing and you know what I mean. Plus, Gillan kind of toed the line before the 9 year drop off before Dio's return with Dehumanizer.
Now, I saw Ozzy's band in the late 80's first. Geezer was on bass and they pumped out a few Sabbath songs, including Sweet Leaf, which I didn't expect but it was THE Black Sabbath. Also,when I previously wrote about these sets, I mistakenly credited Mike Bordin with playing one of the two Sabbath gigs, miraculously and by all accounts and internet provenance it was Bill Ward BOTH times behind the kit. I see I even posted the sets in that one. But let's stick to the program here- THE LIST:
Not to brag, but this is my complete double test press of We Sold Our Soul for Rock N Roll- a very important release for me
So, something I've done for a while is keep a list of live songs I've seen from some of my favorite bands. I never really did this for the hardcore bands I've seen, as the vast majority of them, I saw while they were playing their material what is now (or even, then) considered classic. Also, I those bands were so accessible, that they just reside in a different place in my mind than the subject of this post (another one) about Danzig.
I first saw Danzig in the 1990's (as documented elsewhere in this blog) for a current total of 13 times, which does not include the two great "Original" Misfits gigs or the (EXCELLENT) Samhain reunion in 1999. There was a (technically) 12-year dry spell from November 2010 (the 11th 'Zig gig) until May 2022(#12), though in that time, I saw those aforementioned Misfits gigs. Also, I had Tickets to a show in Sept 2017 at the Warfield, but it got moved due to illness to the same night as another gig (L7) and, as I had only seen L7 in 1992 once, I chose that. I should also mention that the L7 gig was over early and I hopped in my car and sped over to the Warfield, only to spent 25-30 minutes looking for parking and another 15 or so walking to the venue, just to arrive as the doors opened and the crowd was streaming out, thus missing my only chance to see the song Godless live. Bummer summer- Though excellent gigs in 2022 and 2025 with a few songs I'd never seen more than made up for that. I've included the time's Danzig did Samhain or Misfits songs
It’s kind of a given that the stuff after Danzig’s 4p isn’t
really that great. The song writing and production is uneven and his
voice often sounds, well, tired. But really, I think it comes down to focus. The
band started to have revolving members and there was very little consistency in
direction and playing ability after 1995. Sure, you could argue that Joey C
took over drums in late ‘94 (until 2002!) and is a great drummer, but he is the
WRONG drummer for Danzig. It’s not a skill or talent question; it’s
just a stylistic mismatch. Danzig requires a strong solid drummer who is cool
to be in the background- Joey’s drumming becomes the brightest star on the
records he recorded with Danzig and can detract from the songs themselves. Tommy
Victor drops in and out, as does Josh Lazie and Todd Youth. Touring Lineups
have (Mostly) stabilized over the past 10ish years, but FIVE different drummers
(including Glenn Danzig himself) Played on Black Laden Crown, his last original
studio album. FIVE. But we’ll kind of get to that.
It’s not to say there’s not good stuff on the Danzig albums
post ‘94- there is, it just requires cherry picking that didn’t need to be done
on the original band’s records (OK, maybe skip Sadistikal). But fear not, I
have put in the time, done the work and will show you how to successfully poach
Danzig’s catalog over the past 30 years. I will advise you, weary traveler, on
the songs in order of release- it is up to YOU to decide in which track order
you will build your mix tape, or playlist, but as you will read – a streaming
playlist will have complications.
1996- Deep- from the X-Files - Songs in The
Key of X Soundtrack:
A song written for and appearing in a March 1996 episode of
the X Files, the first hint that something was going to be VERY different with
the impending Danzig 5. This slightly industrial plodder is still standard
Danzig fare as far structure goes and the “8th grader writes a
Sabbath Riff” guitar is satisfying (it’s Glenn on guitar on this one). The production
is stark and works well with the song. It’s not a song that’s going to get you
on your feet, and the production makes it less sexy than if this song was on
Lucifuge, but it’s enjoyable and despite David Duchovny working his magic and getting
this song on the X Files soundtrack, looks like he has no pull with the gods of
streaming or publishing, because, despite even appearing on the Lost tracks of
Danzig compilation, Apple Music and Spotify are devoid of this track.
1996- Hint of Her Blood- 5: Blackacidevil:
Blackacidevil is not good and the joys on it are few and far
between. I still do not understand what the fuck is going on with this record,
despite trying for 30 fucking years. Danzig, at times, uses the "Butthole Surfer’s
guy" accent from Ministry’s Jesus Built my Hotrod. Glenn, we have heard your
voice on countless records since 1977, this is not your voice- what are you
doing? With its heavy NIN leanings, this is the first time that a record Danzig
has performed on that sounds like it’s following, not leading. One could argue
Sacrifice is a strong song on the record- Glenn’s voice is in fine form and the structure,
despite the electronic industrial sounds and keyboards, is what we love Danzig
for, but I don’t care for it. What I do care for though, is another one of the era’s
plodders- Hint of Her Blood. I’m guessing it was written in the same mindset as
Deep, as the two songs are pretty similar in feel. Again, points for the everyman
Sabbath meat and potatoes riff but you cheese eaters can actually stream this
one. I have to wonder if Danzig saw a bunch of hot women at an L.A. club in some
latex tops and decided to write a whole ass record for them… but it’s his least
evil sounding record and least sexy. It sounds forced and… Lame.
1999- Thirteen-
6:66 Satans Child:
I actually don’t hate Satans Child, there’s just some
problems. Whereas I think this is the last time any money or true consideration
was put into producing a Danzig album, it just SOUNDS BAD. There are these
weird random sub bass drum hits and Glenns voice forever feels like he needs a
little honey in his tea. Seriously, get him a fucking lozenge or something. But
the album has a drive to it and a few stand out tracks, the top of which is
Thirteen. Thirteen was written for Johnny Cash by Glenn Danzig and appeared on Cash’s
1994 album. This version was on the Hangover soundtrack a decade later and continues
the plodding ways of a lot of the stronger later songs, this time without a
Sabbathesque riff.
2002- Black Mass and Angel Blake-
777: I Luciferi:
Another record I don’t hate, 777: I Luciferi is uneven but
not completely unlistenable. Seems like maybe Glenn had a couple sips of tea
before stepping into the vocal booth and the performances are strong. I think I saw Danzig the most during this era,
with the BEST Danzig show I’ve ever seen being on this tour run in November
2003. Black Mass has a great intro (albeit
a little too drawn out) and gets you right on your feet. It’s a good rocker
that deserves its place near the later era strong songs. Of course, on the
album, all the good Black Mass did is immediately undone by the trash song Wicked
Pussycat, where Danzig one again sound like a follower and not a leader. Other
songs fall into this as well, kind of going where Marilyn Manson and Korn had
been just a couple of years previous, with the saddest of these being The
Coldest Sun, a song that has an Incredible chorus sandwiched between verses
where you expect Glenn to start saying “the beautiful people, the beautiful
people.” I know Danzig would never see it that way, but you know what they say
about horses and water. Speaking of water, Angel Blake (lives by the lake) is a
fucking banger of a track and one of the best 21st century Danzig
songs. It’s got kind of a Led Zeppelin feel during the chorus and sounds huge
and I swear to god there’s a flute melody in there too. Angel Blake is also the
song that does the most justice for the album’s production as the production
does for it.
2004- Black Angel, White Angel- Circle of
Snakes:
My god Circle of Snakes is a slog. I hate, I mean HATE how
this record sounds and how it’s mixed. The choice to down tune to the key of x
(see what I did there?) was a poor choice and the guitar sounds like mud. I
like the drumming on the record, but there’s no warmth to be found in the
production and Glenn’s powerful voice finds itself buried in amateurish
riffs. As a matter of fact, “amateurish” is how I’d describe the production of
all the 21st century Danzig albums. There’s like three songs toward the
end of the record that are nearly impossible to discern from each other and sound
like they’re just a slightly different part of the same tune. But, there is redemption,
all of these songs are just gate keepers and speed bumps to another contender for one of the
best 21st century Danzig songs- Black Angel, White Angel. This song should
have been the main single on the album; Glenn and his label should have been all
in on this track because it is stronger than any of the tracks released to that
point since 4p. It’s a shame the rest of the album is practically unlistenable
and Skincarver can get fucked. No one likes that song except Danzig himself. NO
ONE GLENN.
2007- The Lost Tracks of Danzig:
This one has so many great tracks I’m going to end up
getting more into the weeds. It almost doesn’t seem fair that tracks from the
original band go here, but as this stuff wasn’t released until 2007, here we go.
Pain is Like an Animal, When Death Had No Name (alt take), Angel of the
Seventh Dawn, Cold, Cold Rain and Satan's Crucifiction
are all choice offerings from this compilation of outtakes and rarities from 1988-2004.
Covers aside, there are a couple of clear stinkers that should have remained unreleased
from their era but I’m not going to mention them here. The acoustic version of Come
to Silver, a boat anchor on Danzig 5, is pretty strong in this loose jingly
presentation and Warlock, which sounds like it was recorded with
a 4 track and a drum machine in Glenn’s Livingroom (making full use of the
Mother riff) brings something to the table that most Danzig material does not. Crawl
Across Your Killing Floor Absolutely insane to me that this was left
off of 6:66, as it’s a stronger track than anything that actually MADE THE
ALBUM. This song has a classic Danzig feel through and through. Danzig was
smart and made this the lead video “single” for Lost Tracks. Great track. Lastly,
Bound by Blood, an outtake from 777, another song that should
have absolutely made that album (instead of Wicked Pussycat perhaps?) Another great
track. Perhaps Lost tracks should stand on its own, but then I wouldn’t have a
theme here, would I? Maybe this collection should have been just one disc? I
don’t know, we’re building a mix tape here. Why didn’t I say playlist? Oh- that’s
because The Lost Tracks of Danzig isn’t streaming either.
2010- Deth Red Moon, Pyre of Souls: Seasons of Pain, Left
Hand Rise Above- Deth Red Sabaoth:
Well, well, well. We’ve finally made it to the BEST of the
later Danzig albums, Deth Red Sabaoth. Honestly, this record is the best record
since 4p and highest charting (35th) since (4p charted at 29) and
there’s a reason for that- It actually SOUNDS like a Danzig record. Sure, it’s
not perfect, it does contain JUJU Bone, but it’s the 5th best Danzig
record, and Johnny Kelly is the right guy on drums. Deth Red Moon should have
been the lead single from this record, it’s the strongest song because, well,
it sounds familiar. That’s the thing about most of DRS, it’s sound familiar,
like Glenn is finally ready to embrace what made his namesake band so fucking popular
in the first place. All three of the songs listed here are absolutely stunning,
classic sounding Danzig tracks. Back again is some of the blues feel of earlier
releases, a lot of it is because Johnny Kelly locks in the beat properly, which
makes up for Tommy Victor’s mediocre lead work. Like Lost tracks, perhaps this
record should just stand on it’s own and maybe without JUJU Bone and better
cover art I would say that 100%, but again, that’s not the exercise for our mix
tape. Danzig must hate stuff that’s really good because the Misfits Walk Among
Us, all of the Samhain catalog and Lost Tracks and DRS are not streaming.
2017- Last Ride, Pull the Sun- Black Laden
Crown:
Any gains made with the Lost Tracks and Deth Red Sabaoth
were almost completely undone with the covers album Skeletons and Black Laden
Crown, an uneven dumpster fire of an album that offers up one good track and
one great track surrounded by songs that are fucking cement shoes dragging this
album into the murky depths to drown. I could seriously write all day about how
I hate the slow boring pace of the record and the ONE TIME the pace pops up in
the title track, I’m absolutely furious that Johnny Kelly did not do a fill leading
into it, you and I know he’s better than that, his playing on Deth Red Sabaoth
SHOWED that he’s better than that and makes me believe the part was tacked on. Anyway,
Last Ride is a good song that suffers from a terrible video and that Glenn
himself plays drums on it. But the structure is there the chorus is there… The
song is there. Every single track on the album is two minutes too long. And that
is a detractor for most of it, but it helps Pull the Sun, the only song on the
record that it seems to help, lulling your senses into submission, almost
forgetting how underdeveloped and BAD this album sounds. I feel like no care
was put into its production, like Glenn wanted to do a record and just pulled
in who he could (FIVE DRUMMERS) at any given time to record, without
workshopping anything or giving anything a second thought. The mix is bad, the
tones are bad and most of the songs are too. I think the miracle here is that there’s
any passable songs at all but I think Glenn’s talent shows through with these
two tracks.
And there you have it. 20 tracks poached from Danzig’s
records post the classic era. If you want to get technical, yes, I guess it’s
15 tracks because 5 of the Lost Tracks songs are THE GUYS, but whatever, let’s
not OVER think this whole Danzig thing.
I moved from Buffalo, NY to California a little over a decade ago and up until September 2023, I had only been back to visit on one occasion: to celebrate my mother’s 65th birthday and to travel to Philly for the Alone in a Crowd reunion. A text message in early August 2023 from my mother, explaining that my father had been suffering from a cold that he couldn’t shake, and had gone to the doctor to find out he had stage 4 pancreatic cancer that had metastasized. His “cold” was, in fact, legions throughout his lungs that were hindering his breathing. It was a devastating diagnosis. A death sentence. My kids and I were on a plane to NY a few weeks later. It was a nice visit, but I avoided dealing with it, filling my time with visiting friends and taking the kids on site seeing outings to Niagara Falls and the like. But aside from massive coughing fits, my father looked, talked and acted like he always had. That was soon to change.
My dad jumping in the early 70's
By the holidays, he had been in and out of the hospital several times, with an extended stay into the new year. He was doing Chemo, but the doctors said that removal of any tumors was not viable. He was sent home in January, and I got seriously freaked out talking to him via Facetime, he looked like death warmed over and could barely get more than two sentences out, gasping for breath. I was on a plane again a week later.
Right before I left for the airport
This visit was different, I spent nearly every moment with my father, talking and watching movies in his living room, where he expressed his disappointment that July 2023 was the last gig he’d ever play with his band; an outdoor show that got rained out during the initial set of songs, he also encouraged me to go jam with my old band Dead Hearts and let me borrow his Les Paul to do so. On a snowy Sunday Dead Hearts got together in a practice space and ripped through a set of songs for fun. It was a light moment in a very heavy week. A few days later I drove my father to his chemo appointment, which after checking his vitals, was cancelled in office- his system couldn’t handle it. I was flying out that night and in the car he said “Let’s go get coffee and donuts” and that’s exactly what we did. I didn’t know it at the time, but it was the last thing we’d ever do together, he passed away the following month. Terrible. A waste. A tragedy. A death he did not deserve.
DH Jam 2024
I’ve never been good with death, or caskets or funerals. I suspect that few are, except maybe those who have accepted their impending embrace and welcome finality. I don’t believe in a higher power or an afterlife and the thought of not existing fucking scares me enough to not want to deal with it around me, but not enough to stop drinking coffee or get on a treadmill. My father left me the Les Paul he’d let me borrow. What do I do with it? I’m honored to have it, but it’s also a reminder of the man I knew, the father who died, the mortality which no one can escape. Or maybe it’s just a guitar, whose purpose is to be played and not be silent like the grave. That being said, even though I play it often, I’m too reserved, too careful with it in my hands, like I’m holding a museum piece that will surely crumble with too much pressure, but know that I’m still working through it, I’ll get there. Objects are made for use and instruments even more so than most, I’ll get there, I promise.
My father died in March of 2024 and even though I spoke at his memorial service, I wanted to honor his spirit, in some way, further. He had inspired me to play guitar when I was a kid, long before the bark and bite of James Hetfield had infected my being. He was so freaking cool, in the 70’s he had a band called Adamm that wore make up ala Kiss that he was so embarrassed of, but I thought fucking ruled. He sat in the living room noodling on his Les Paul the entire time I was growing up and gigged on the weekend. There’s nothing cooler than having a working-class rock and roll dad. So, in June 2025, I sent a text to the Dead Hearts guys that I would be in town for around 10 days the week of Thanksgiving and floated the idea of doing a reunion gig. It came together quickly and sold out 3 days after tickets went on sale in September.
Adamm in the late 70's
Soon enough November 29th, 2025, was upon us and my own kids got to see their cool working-class rock and roll dad play guitar on stage for the first time in 13 years. My oldest was a year old when Dead Hearts last reunion had taken place and my other daughter and son were not yet born. The show exceeded expectations. I don’t know why we got the love from the crowd we did, and it’s still a lot to process weeks later, but it was great. I wanted to, but I was so afraid to bring my dad’s Les Paul, I’m just not there yet, I don't think, maybe someday soon, I promise. After all, instruments are made to be played, to scream out the melody of life, and that guitar was my dad's song, my dad's life, as much as it is the world's.
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