Published on Nov 11, 1999
You’ve got to hand it to Glenn Danzig: he’s an artist who
refuses to die. After the critical drubbing his last project
Danzig 5: Blackaciddevil took, he could have easily chucked
it all in and concentrated on his thriving comic book business.
Instead, he took some time after ending his relationship with
Hollywood Records, fine-tuned his musical output, and signed a new
deal which embraces the technology of the Internet.
The end result of that project,
Danzig 6:66 – Satan’s Child, is a return to form for Danzing
and his band that features some of the most mature sounding work
that the singer/guitarist has ever written and performed.
It would have been easy for Danzig, bass guitarist Lazie and
drummer Joey C. (as well as guest guitarist Jeff Chambers) to have
backpedaled and tried to recapture the magic that was on Danzig’s
first few releases. Instead, Danzig chose to merge his entire past,
including some aspects of electronic music, in with his new vision
for the next century. In the process, he created some songs that
could well lead the charge of metal’s return to commercial
popularity.
From the opening track “Five Finger Crawl,” you can tell that
this is going to be a sensory bloodbath to enjoy. Danzig’s singing
sounds more controlled and blues-like, though he occasionally does
go back to the higher-octave wail he’s become known for. But it’s a
balance in the vocal styles that really helps to shape the music
into something unique and special.
Tracks like “Unspeakable,” “Belly Of The Beast,” “Satan’s Child”
and “East Indian Devil (Kali’s Song)” all continue the
gloom-and-doom style of Danzig’s music that has beena part of his
history since the start. However, Danzig seems to want to balance
the darkness out with a little more light than he’s usually willing
to shed. So while these songs all have ominous undertones, you
can’t help but believe that even Danzig himself holds out an olive
branch of hope for mankind.
His choice to close the album with his own version of
“Thirteen,” a song he originally wrote for Johnny Cash, is
interesting — and while he works hard to make sure he doesn’t do
the original recording any injustice, he adds enough of his own
signature to the song to stake a claim of ownership for
himself.
Regrets? I can’t think of any on
Danzig 6:66 – Satan’s Child. Even though there is still
demonic imagery throughout the music, at least it doesn’t seem like
Danzig is hitting you over the head with it this time around. If
anything, this trip into his world is kind of fun, in an
other-worldly sort of way. And somehow, if Danzig himself were to
read this review, I think he’d laugh at that statement and agree
with it.
Danzig 6:66 – Satan’s Child is a nice welcome back from one
of the few remaining innovators in heavy metal, and could well be
one of the best releases of the year.