Danzig (album)
Encyclopedia
Danzig is the 1988 debut album of the American heavy metal
band Danzig
, led by Glenn Danzig
who was formerly the songwriter and vocalist of the Misfits and Samhain
.
The album was also the first release on producer Rick Rubin
's new label Def American Recordings. Def American's successor, American Recordings reissued the album in the USA
and UK
in 1998.
Danzig is the band's best-selling full length album and was certified Gold in the U.S. in 1994.
The song "Mother
", retitled as "Mother '93" and with live audience overdubs, became a hit on radio and MTV
in 1993-94 after a new video-single with live footage was created to mark its inclusion on Thrall: Demonsweatlive
. The song was also later included on various hard rock/heavy metal/alternative music compilations, and featured in the video games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
, True Crime: New York City
, Guitar Hero
series, and F.E.A.R. 3
.
Glenn Danzig originally wrote the songs "Twist of Cain" and "Possession" for his previous band, Samhain. James Hetfield
of Metallica
performed backup vocals on "Twist of Cain" and "Possession", but due to contractual reasons could not be credited in the album insert. A backwards piano track is used on "Possession".
Guitarist John Christ
has described "She Rides" as “Our first sex song...it's such a stripped-down song, just a couple of guitar tracks and almost no bass.”
While the album's liner notes expressly state "All songs written by Glenn Danzig", the song "The Hunter"
was written by Booker T. & the M.G.'s
and Carl Wells. Originally recorded by Albert King
, the Danzig version of the song only features slightly modified lyrics.
and November-Coming-Fire
, was taken from the cover of the Marvel comic book The Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior
(issue 8). It was drawn by the artist Michael Golden.
Later pressings of the compact disc added the Danzig band name logo in the lower right. While 1990-1998 pressings of the CD had the Parental Advisory
label in the form of a sticker on the cellophane wrap, pressings since 1998 have the label printed on the artwork. Danzig is one of few albums labeled as "explicit" despite the virtual absence of profanity, save for one use of "whore".
All songs written by Glenn Danzig, except "The Hunter" by Booker T. & the M.G.'s and Carl Wells
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Danzig
Danzig (band)
Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...
, led by Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
who was formerly the songwriter and vocalist of the Misfits and Samhain
Samhain (band)
Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from the Misfits. Samhain played in more of a deathrock and heavy metal-infused style of horror punk than Danzig's previous band. By 1987 Samhain's membership evolved into a new band,...
.
The album was also the first release on producer Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
's new label Def American Recordings. Def American's successor, American Recordings reissued the album in the USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and UK
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 1998.
Danzig is the band's best-selling full length album and was certified Gold in the U.S. in 1994.
Music and recording
Danzig was recorded at Atlantic Recording Studios and Chung King Metal, and mixed at Smoke Tree and Village.The song "Mother
Mother (Danzig song)
"Mother" is a song by Danzig that first appeared on their 1988 debut album, Danzig.Thematically, the song is a rhetorical challenge to parents, primarily inspired by Tipper Gore who, along with the Parents Music Resource Center, introduced the Parental Advisory warning placed on albums that contain...
", retitled as "Mother '93" and with live audience overdubs, became a hit on radio and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
in 1993-94 after a new video-single with live footage was created to mark its inclusion on Thrall: Demonsweatlive
Thrall: Demonsweatlive
Thrall - Demonsweatlive is an EP by Danzig. It was released in 1993 on Def American Recordings.-Music and recording:The EP is split into two sections. The first section, Thrall, consists of three new studio recordings that were tracked live and completed by the band in a single day...
. The song was also later included on various hard rock/heavy metal/alternative music compilations, and featured in the video games Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas
Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas is a 2004 open world action video game developed by British games developer Rockstar North and published by Rockstar Games. It is the third 3D game in the Grand Theft Auto video game franchise, the fifth original console release and eighth game overall...
, True Crime: New York City
True Crime: New York City
True Crime: New York City is an urban sandbox-style action-adventure videogame published by Activision and developed by Luxoflux for the Xbox, PlayStation 2, and GameCube consoles and Windows based computers. It is the second game of the True Crime series, released after True Crime: Streets of LA...
, Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero
Guitar Hero is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems and published by RedOctane for the PlayStation 2 video game console. It is the first entry in the Guitar Hero series. Guitar Hero was released on November 8, 2005 in North America, April 7, 2006 in Europe and June 15, 2006 in...
series, and F.E.A.R. 3
F.E.A.R. 3
F.E.A.R. 3 is a psychological horror first-person shooter video game, developed by Day 1 Studios for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 as a sequel to the game F.E.A.R. 2: Project Origin and the third installment of the F.E.A.R....
.
Glenn Danzig originally wrote the songs "Twist of Cain" and "Possession" for his previous band, Samhain. James Hetfield
James Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
of Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
performed backup vocals on "Twist of Cain" and "Possession", but due to contractual reasons could not be credited in the album insert. A backwards piano track is used on "Possession".
Guitarist John Christ
John Christ
John Christ, born John Wolfgang Knoll on , is a musician best known as the original guitarist for the metal band Danzig. He has been known for his bluesy metal sound and frequent use of the pinch harmonic...
has described "She Rides" as “Our first sex song...it's such a stripped-down song, just a couple of guitar tracks and almost no bass.”
While the album's liner notes expressly state "All songs written by Glenn Danzig", the song "The Hunter"
The Hunter (Albert King song)
"The Hunter" is a blues song first recorded by Albert King in 1967. The song has been recorded by various other performers, including Ike and Tina Turner, who had a 1969 hit with the song in the R&B and Pop music charts.-Original song:...
was written by Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Booker T. & the M.G.'s
Booker T. & the M.G.'s is an instrumental R&B band that was influential in shaping the sound of southern soul and Memphis soul. Original members of the group were Booker T. Jones , Steve Cropper , Lewie Steinberg , and Al Jackson, Jr....
and Carl Wells. Originally recorded by Albert King
Albert King
Albert King was an American blues guitarist and singer, and a major influence in the world of blues guitar playing.-Career:...
, the Danzig version of the song only features slightly modified lyrics.
Artwork and packaging
Original LP, CD, and cassette versions of the album cover had no writing or identifying text whatsoever, only a white skull on a black background. The skull, also used on the Samhain albums InitiumInitium
Initium is the 1984 debut album of Samhain, released on lead singer Glenn Danzig's independent record label, Plan 9. In various interviews Danzig states that the album's title, which translates from Latin to English as "beginning", represents his new start after disbanding his prior band, The...
and November-Coming-Fire
November-Coming-Fire
Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire was the band Samhain's third release. It was issued in 1986 on lead singer Glenn Danzig's independent record label, Plan 9. It is considered by many fans to be the band's best piece of work, as they were evolving their own style of music, which was often described...
, was taken from the cover of the Marvel comic book The Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior
The Saga of Crystar
The Saga of Crystar, Crystal Warrior was a 1983 11-issue fantasy-based Marvel comic book with an associated toy line from Remco, consisting of seven figures, some vehicles and accessories...
(issue 8). It was drawn by the artist Michael Golden.
Later pressings of the compact disc added the Danzig band name logo in the lower right. While 1990-1998 pressings of the CD had the Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory
Parental Advisory is a message affixed by the Recording Industry Association of America to audio and recordings in the United States containing excessive use of profane language and/or sexual references. Albums began to be labeled for "explicit lyrics" in 1985, after pressure from the Parents...
label in the form of a sticker on the cellophane wrap, pressings since 1998 have the label printed on the artwork. Danzig is one of few albums labeled as "explicit" despite the virtual absence of profanity, save for one use of "whore".
Music videos
Music videos were released for the songs "Twist of Cain", "Am I Demon", "Mother" and "She Rides". Upon its release the music video for "Mother" was banned by MTV for containing controversial imagery. All four music videos later appeared on the Danzig Home Video.Track listing
- "Twist of Cain" – 4:17
- "Not of This World" – 3:42
- "She Rides" – 5:10
- "Soul On Fire" – 4:36
- "Am I Demon" – 4:57
- "MotherMother (Danzig song)"Mother" is a song by Danzig that first appeared on their 1988 debut album, Danzig.Thematically, the song is a rhetorical challenge to parents, primarily inspired by Tipper Gore who, along with the Parents Music Resource Center, introduced the Parental Advisory warning placed on albums that contain...
" – 3:24 - "Possession" – 3:56
- "End of Time" – 4:02
- "The Hunter" – 3:31
- "Evil Thing" – 3:16
All songs written by Glenn Danzig, except "The Hunter" by Booker T. & the M.G.'s and Carl Wells
Credits
- Glenn DanzigGlenn DanzigGlenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...
- VocalsSingingSinging is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments... - Eerie VonEerie VonEerie Von, born Eric Stellman on is a musician best known as the original bassist for the metal band Danzig. Eerie Von's preferred bass is the Fender Jazz.-Early life:...
- BassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - John ChristJohn ChristJohn Christ, born John Wolfgang Knoll on , is a musician best known as the original guitarist for the metal band Danzig. He has been known for his bluesy metal sound and frequent use of the pinch harmonic...
- GuitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Chuck BiscuitsChuck BiscuitsChuck Biscuits is a Canadian-born drummer, now a U.S. citizen, who is best known as an original member of the heavy metal/hard rock band Danzig. Most recently, he was a member of the punk rock band Social Distortion in the late 1990s...
- DrumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - James HetfieldJames HetfieldJames Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
(Uncredited) - Backup vocals on "Twist of Cain" and "Possession"
Production
- Producer: Rick RubinRick RubinFrederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
- Engineers: Dave Bianco, Steve Ett, Jim Scott
- Mastering: Howie Weinberg
- CD Mastering: Barry Diament
- Photography: Mark WeissMark WeissMark Weiss is an American rock and roll photographer. His most widely recognized photographs capture the look and aesthetic of music and celebrity personalities of the 1980s....
Charts
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | The Billboard 200 | 125 |
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | "Mother Mother (Danzig song) "Mother" is a song by Danzig that first appeared on their 1988 debut album, Danzig.Thematically, the song is a rhetorical challenge to parents, primarily inspired by Tipper Gore who, along with the Parents Music Resource Center, introduced the Parental Advisory warning placed on albums that contain... " |
Mainstream Rock Tracks | 17 |
| 1994 | The Billboard Hot 100 | 43 |