Review
Hold onto your hats, folks! Danzig's self-titled debut album crashed onto the scene in August 1988 like a bolt from the blue, electrifying the heavy metal world with its thunderous energy. This tempest of sound, produced by the legendary Rick Rubin, was the first storm to brew on Def American Recordings, and boy, did it leave a lasting impact!
Glenn Danzig's vocals are a force of nature, reminiscent of a unholy union between Elvis and Jim Morrison. The album's standout tracks, 'Twist of Cain,' 'Am I Demon,' and the eventual hit 'Mother,' are like musical hurricanes - simple yet devastatingly powerful. The band's sound is a perfect storm of The Doors' brooding atmosphere, Misfits' punk aggression, and Black Sabbath's heavy metal thunder.
This platinum-certified album is a maelstrom of dark themes and haunting imagery. Songs like 'Possession' and 'End of Time' paint a bleak landscape that's as captivating as it is unsettling. The addition of James Hetfield's uncredited backing vocals on a couple of tracks adds another layer to this already dense atmospheric disturbance. Despite some criticism of its production's uniformity, 'Danzig' remains a Category 5 classic that continues to influence heavy music decades after its initial impact. It's no wonder Rolling Stone included it in their list of 'The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time' in 2017! - Juno
