Danzig II: Lucifuge

Throughout music history, there has been two types of, quote-unquote, "derivative" acts. There's the type represented by the Black Crowes album suggested to me yesterday, which plays it all too safe, is too unmemorable, too "vanilla", and is utterly devoid of real stakes to feel like a proper suggestion for me, as "competent" or skilled the musicians are as "arrangers". And then, there's this Danzig album, where it takes no seer to feel that its frontman, composer and songwriter is intent on one thing: paying tribute to the long traditions of blues and blues rock in a very personal and idiosyncratic fashion, therefore joining the ranks of the all-time greats in the genre. Glenn Danzig is... Well, he is a "character" for sure, just like Robert Johnson and Howlin' Wolf were. His vocal performance exudes the same sort of haunted inspiration. His prowess as a purveyor of swampy, catchy riffs, tight guitar harmonies and addictive choruses suggests he did go to one of those crossroads to make a deal with the devil himself (Yes, I interpret *Luci*fuge** as a very misleading title here, lol). And his translation of that blues grammar into the hard-rock vernacular of his day and age is aesthetically flawless. Plus, said translation is here served by a top-notch production by Rick Rubin, which has aged very little for a record released during the early nineties: that subtle, near-subliminal use of low piano notes in "Her Black Wings", the use of a Hammond organ here and there... Every idea here brings extra-dimension to the hard rock / hard blues / stoner bangers found in this LP. The first three tracks, "Long Way Back From Hell", "Snakes Of Christ" and "Killer Wolf" are already stellar. And "Tired Of Being Alive" and "Her Black Wings" are even better, thanks to their infectious choruses and pre-choruses. Glenn had learned how to build up a song by this point. This makes him straddle the line between pastiche (his starting point) to truly iconic heights. And between those two highlights, you have the very nice barebones acoustic number "I'm The One", where the metal instrumentation is abandoned for the original flavors of the blues. Nice touch, and a perfect first side for the album. The second side doesn't always reach those heights, but there is still no dud to be found there, only a couple of lesser accomplishments ("Devil's Plaything", "Girl") where a few clichés feel a tad less vital, as greatly executed as they are. The slide guitar on "777" is still bonkers, though, and "Blood And Tears" is an excellent ballad. And as a closer, "Pain In The World" comes off as an equally excellent homage to the first Black Sabbath LP. Many thanks to the user who submitted this record. Because I wasn't too thrilled by The Misfits, I have put aside the idea of listening to the first Danzig albums for too long. It's a mistake you made me correct, and I am grateful. I am at one of those infamous crossroads now, reevaluating everything I know about Glenn Danzig. And I have already pricked my index finger. Where should I sign? 3.5/5 for the purposes of this list dedicated to essential albums, rounded up to 4. 8.5/10 for more general purposes (5 for the musicianship and production values + 3.5 for the artistry) ---- Number of albums from the original list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 465 Albums from the original list I *might* include in mine later on: 288 Albums from the original list I won't include in mine: 336 ---- Number of albums from the users list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 122 Albums from the users list I *might* select for mine later on: 142 (including this one) Albums from the users list I won't select for mine: 315 ---- Salut Émile, Tu pourras lire ma dernière réponse sous le *Little Criminals* de Randy Newman. A+.

2.1 Never gotten in board with Danzig. All I can hear is a poor Elvis impersonator on the top of some quite mediocre metal.

Danzig II: Lucifuge is funny because at its core it's straight down the line rock and does pretty well, but it flicks around between blues and metal and prog and does a pretty good job of it, and no two songs really sound like each other and it's not a bad thing, it still manages to be cohesive. Vocals are smashing too, I really liked it, probably enough for a 4.

Dark and gloomy. I love it! Best song: Pain in the World. What a great ending to the album. Very Black Sabbath-like. Sounds very 70s. Dig it.

Danzig II: Lucifuge is the second and best album Danzig. I already knew their eponymous debut album due to the fantastic song Mother. Maybe this album does not contain a similar classic, but the overall quality of the songs is much better. The songs are themed around good and bad and they are a dark bluesy rock/metal kind of music. This is perfected with the incredible voice of Glenn Danzig who sounds like the evil son of Jim Morrison. The band and in special the singer are delivering a top performance and sound equally confident as haunted by the devil himself.

Absolutely loved this. The vocals and blues-rock groove really hit the spot for me. I thought the sound was familiar, so I checked out their top songs and recognised Mother. Somehow I’d never really explored them beyond that. This is going straight into my frequent rotation. Another user list pick that I probably wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.

Didn't think I'd be into this one, but it definitely rocks. At times...it gives me Black Sabbath vibes - which is good. Favorite Track: Blood and Tears. 3.5/5

I really like this blues take on metal music. The gothic influences make it all a bit darker in sound. Would listen again

Identify Danzig: Yep, it's Danzig!

I thought this was either going to be hardcore rap or very heavy metal, but it was more gentle than either of those. Then there was that weird song about the 5 year old, “I’m the one” which ruined the whole thing for me.

Heavy metal, blues rock. Está bien. Un 4, venga.

Most danzig is solid danzig

Sounds very like The Misfits, obviously! A cracker, and well worth a listen, but possibly not innovative enough for a place on the actual list.

Heavy metal, blues rock. Está bien. Un 4, venga.

I really wanted to like this more than I did. It's a fun idea but I feel like it just doesn't go all the way. Maybe it's the vocals being somewhat lower in the mix or the overall production, but it just doesn't go as hard as I wanted it to. My personal rating: 3/5 My rating relative to the list: 3.5/5 Should this have been included on the original list? No.

Decent enough blues metal. Good concept!

Love the guitars! Not something I'm really familiar with, but glad I got to listen to it. 3.5

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Killer wolf, Her Black wings, 777, Blood and tears

After Jim Morrison died, the surviving members of the Doors released two more albums. Listening to them, you can tell they were trying hard to sound like the Doors everyone knew and loved, with Robby Krieger and Ray Manzarek doing their best to sound like Jim. And it wasn't bad. But, at the same time, something wasn't quite right. It was lacking the magic formula that made the Doors best work so special. All that to say, this album reminds me of those Doors albums. Vocally, it sounds like he's trying to sound like Jim Morrison, but it doesn't quite work. Musically, it's more simplistic than the Doors music, but still sounds like an imitation of sorts. Overall, it's okay, but doesn't quite do it for me. 3 stars.

Danzig has such a distinct vocal style that has come to define the garage/punk sound for me. The instrumentals here do let him down a bit, feeling a bit more homogeneous and less memorable than the typical breakneck Misfits backing I'm used to. Makes the 50 mintues feel a bit long, but this is still a solid listen. Cool to see some Danzig solo work featured here on the user list, even if this isn't exactly a must-listen before you die.

Not bad, but also not my favorite of this ilk. I think Danzig’s lead vocals needed more variety at some points… not quite in my sweet spot but not entirely out of it either.

Fine

You know, Danzig, does what it says on the tin. This to me is really what "Heavy Metal" is in my heatt, owing mostly to my age (in the early-middle of Gen X). I like it OK though it is not my thing particularly. Top level execution though.

Heavy Metal Jim Morrison. Really good. Also I like how when you open the artist page it talks about the Polish city instead.

I’ve never listened to Danzig I don’t think. I liked it! I weirdly heard a lot of The Doors and Jim Morrison in the bluesier tracks. The rockier/metal tracks meanwhile reminded me of Billy idol of all people. I enjoy this entire album a day project most when I hear music that allows me to see connective tissue and inspiration between disparate musical acts and genres, so this was a real treat.

Could be way worse

Like a punky Doors. It doesn't have the song I love by Danzig (Mother. Yeah I'm basic) but it was an enjoyable way to spend 40 minutes.

One of my favourite albums of all time.