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* ''[[Initium]]'' ([[1984]]) - LP |
* ''[[Initium]]'' ([[1984]]) - LP |
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* ''[[November-Coming-Fire]]'' ([[1986]]) - LP |
* ''[[November-Coming-Fire]]'' ([[1986]]) - LP |
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* ''[[Final Descent]]'' ([[1990]]) - LP; reissued with |
* ''[[Final Descent]]'' ([[1990]]) - LP; reissued with new / different tracks ([[2000]]) |
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====E.P.==== |
====E.P.==== |
Revision as of 04:22, 17 August 2006
Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone on June 23, 1955 [1] in Lodi, New Jersey, USA), also called the "Evil Elvis" by fans, is an accomplished singer and musician, and the creative force behind The Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He is one of the most influential individuals in dark rock music.
He is perhaps best known for his crooning vocal style, which borrows from a mix of Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, and Jim Morrison. His career spans nearly thirty years and encompasses a multitude of musical genres - from punk rock, to heavy metal, to blues, to industrial, and classical. He is a much maligned figure due to his flirtations with the Satanic and his abrasive persona. Glenn is also a determined weightlifter, comic book publisher and a collector of rare Japanese toys. He is also a certified teacher of Jeet Kune Do, a Martial art he began studying in 1992 after training in the style of Muay Thai. He was taught Jeet Kune Do by Jerry Poteet, one of Bruce Lee's five original students.
Early years
Glenn Danzig was born into a Protestant family of Italian, German, and Scottish-American heritage. Although Glenn's birth name is Anzalone, he has stated in various interviews that "Danzig" is a family name that he adopted for personal reasons, and is not a stage name.
Glenn was introduced to hard rock music at an early age when one of his older brothers (he had two older brothers and one younger) played him an album by Blue Cheer. Not long afterwards, he saw Black Sabbath in concert, an experience that solidified his love for hard rock music. Alice Cooper's use of horror and theatrics also made an impact on Glenn who is known to be fascinated in the "macabre". The Doors and Elvis Presley were also among his favorite musicians/bands during his early years. His views often clashed with those of his father, who was a strict Marine Corps veteran of World War II and the Korean War.
During his teen years, though fond of drinking and causing mischief around the small town of Lodi, New Jersey, Glenn also spent a lot of his time dwelling in his bedroom - where he indulged in gory horror films, comic books, professional wrestling, pornography, and Japanese Animation (especially Captain Harlock and Devilman). He became an avid collector, his collections ranging from rare Japanese toys, to comic and occult books, and the skulls of deceased animals.
He graduated from Lodi High School in 1973. He aspired to become a professional comic book artist, and also had an interest in photography.
Musical career
Glenn started in the music business at the age of 11 - first as a drum roadie, and then as a bass player in a few local garage bands. Glenn had never taken vocal lessons, but the first time he auditioned for the role of a vocalist, he was surprised at the powerful voice he could achieve. His vocal prowess soon got him noticed in the local scene. Throughout his teenage years he sang for several local bands, such as Talus and Whodat And Boojang - most of which played half original songs and half Black Sabbath songs.
In 1977, twenty-one year old Glenn Danzig got serious about music, wanting to do an all original band. So he started The Misfits, taking the band's name from Marilyn Monroe's last film. The Misfits combined campy horror and sci-fi lyrics/imagery with Danzig's melodic vocals, backed by chaotic punk thrashing.
In 1983, after releasing several singles, two full albums, and gaining a small, but devoted underground following, Glenn disbanded The Misfits due to increasing animosity among the band members and his dissatisfaction with their musical abilities.
He devoted his full attention to another band project, which he had already begun working on, called Samhain. Samhain was a darker, more occult and "real life horror" themed band that strayed from the tongue-in-cheek imagery of The Misfits. Samhain released two full length albums and an EP of gritty deathrock music.
During this time, Glenn took an interest in Eastern philosophy, and aspired to reach his peak physical and mental condition. He stopped his reckless drinking, undertook serious body building, and began to study martial arts - namely Jeet Kune Do, founded by Bruce Lee.
In 1987, Samhain was signed to a major label by famous producer Rick Rubin and the name of the band was changed to Danzig. The band consisted of lead guitarist John Christ, bassist Eerie Von, and former DOA drummer Chuck Biscuits. Glenn continued to evolve his music into a combination of dark, brooding heavy metal, and classic blues.
In 1993-1994, Glenn Danzig reached the height of his popularity and broke into the mainstream when the live video for his song "Mother" became a hit on MTV, seven years after the original song was recorded.
In 1995, after four dark and blues-inspired hard rock albums, the band underwent a complete overhaul. The original lineup had fallen apart, as had Danzig's relationship with their record label, American Recordings. Glenn enlisted new band mates, signed to a new label, and began recording Blackacidevil, the fifth Danzig album. With Blackacidevil, Glenn once again altered the direction of his music, this time infusing heavy metal with industrial rock. Danzig's subsequent musical offerings have strayed from the industrial influence of Blackacidevil to more stripped down, heavier metal. The Danzig band lineup continued to change with the albums. Although Danzig's later releases never got the mainstream attention of the "Mother" single, the band has maintained a worldwide cult following.
In 2005, Danzig's tours to support the Circle of Snakes album and the Blackest of the Black festival, have been notable for the special guest appearance of Doyle, The Misfits most prominent guitarist who has become an iconic figure to fans of the band. Doyle joined Danzig on stage for a 20 min set of classic Misfits songs, to the ecstatic approval of their fans. Glenn, who had been shooting down rumors of a Misfits reunion for many years, has stated in interviews that seeing him perform with Doyle is as close as anyone will ever get to seeing a true Misfits reunion.
After touring in support of Circle of Snakes and Blackest of the Black, Glenn Danzig says he is ready to take a break from touring, perhaps permanently, to work on other projects and produce other bands. Currently, Glenn is working on his feature film "Ge Rouge". He has also been putting the finishing touches on his second solo album Black Aria II (follow-up to Black Aria). He has stated in several recent interviews that after he finishes Ge Rouge, he will begin putting together "The Lost Tracks of Danzig", a box set containing around thirty unreleased songs that span the entire Danzig catalog. Glenn has also stated that he and Jerry Cantrell have been discussing the possiblity of teaming up to write and record an album of dark blues songs.
Legacy
Danzig's hit song, "Mother", continues to be a staple in Hard Rock radio station playlists. Over the years, his music has influenced many, most notably Rob Zombie, Melissa Auf der Maur, Metallica, AFI, Cradle of Filth, and HIM. He has also written songs for legendary musicians Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison. His songs have been covered by a plethora of bands, most notably Metallica, Guns 'n Roses, and AFI. His style of singing, song writing and use of dark imagery has been fundamental in the establishment of the Horror Rock genre of music.
He currently owns a comic book publishing company called Verotik, which publishes dark comics intended for an adult audience.
He continues to record music and perform with the band that shares his namesake, although he plans to take time off from touring so he can produce other bands, release a few albums and direct a horror film named 'Ge Rouge', a film based on one of his comic books.
Trivia
- He made a brief appearance in the film The Prophecy II as the fallen angel Samyael.
- Glenn provided a voiceover to Cartoon Network's Adult Swim TV show, Aqua Teen Hunger Force. He portrayed himself attempting to purchase a house in New Jersey, with blood flowing from its walls and taps, in the episode "Cybernetic Ghost of Christmas Past from the Future" (first aired 29 December 2002).
- In the early 90's, Danzig founded a small-press comic book company called Verotik, which specialized in dark, violent and erotic stories, many of which were written by Glenn.
- Glenn has had a life-long facination with art, and is responsible for illustrating many of his band's album covers, such as The Misfits' Horror Business EP, Samhain's November-Coming-Fire LP, Danzig's self-titled LP, and the Danzig 4 LP.
- He was approached couple of times by 20th Century Fox in the late 90's to audition for the part of Wolverine in the film adaptation of X-Men. When Fox finally decided on director/producer team, Danzig had to turn down their offer due to a fact he was expected to be on the set for nine months, putting his band and the tour on hold.[1][2][3]
- Is affectionately known by fans as "The Evil Elvis".
References
Discography
Studio albums
- Walk Among Us (1982) - LP
- Earth A.D. (1983) - LP
- Legacy of Brutality (1985) - Compliation
- Collection I (1986) - Compliation
- Collection II (1995) - Compliation
- Static Age (1997) - LP
- 12 Hits From Hell (2000) – LP
Singles
- Cough/Cool (1977) - 7" single
- Bullet (1978) - 7" EP
- Horror Business (1979) - 7" EP
- Night of the Living Dead (1979) - 7" single
- Beware (1980) - 12" EP
- 3 Hits from Hell (1981) - 7" EP
- Halloween (1981) - 7" single
- Die, Die My Darling (1984) - 12" single
Live albums
Studio albums
- Initium (1984) - LP
- November-Coming-Fire (1986) - LP
- Final Descent (1990) - LP; reissued with new / different tracks (2000)
E.P.
- Unholy Passion (1985) - 12" EP
Compilations
- Samhain Box Set (2000) - box set
Studio albums
- Danzig (1988) - LP
- Danzig II: Lucifuge (1990) - LP
- Danzig III: How the Gods Kill (1992) - LP
- Danzig 4 (1994) - LP
- Danzig 5: Blackacidevil (1996) - LP
- Danzig 6:66: Satan's Child (1999) - LP
- Danzig 777: I Luciferi (2002) - LP
- Circle of Snakes (2004) - LP
E.P.
- Thrall/Demonsweatlive (1993) - EP
- Sacrifice (1997), (reissued 2000 with extra tracks) - EP
Singles
- "Mother" (1988) - promotional CD single
- "Her Black Wings" (1990) - promotional CD single
- "Killer Wolf" (1990) - promotional CD single
- "A Taste Of Danzig III" (1992) - promotional CD single
- "Dirty Black Summer" (1992) - CD single
- "How The Gods Kill" (1992) - promotional CD single
- "It's Coming Down" (1993) - promotional CD single
- "Mother '93" (1993) - promotional and wide-release CD singles
- "Until You Call On The Dark" - (1994) - promotional CD single
- "Brand New God" (1994) - promotional CD single
- "Cantspeak" (1994) - CD single
- "I Don't Mind The Pain" (1995) - CD single
- "7th House" (1996) - promotional CD single
- "Sacrifice" (1996) - CD single
- "Unspeakable" (1999) - promotional CD single
Soundtracks
- "Deep" Songs in the Key of X: Music from and Inspired by the X-Files(1996)
- "underBelly of the Beast" The Crow: Salvation Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (2000)
Live albums
- Live on the Black Hand Side (2001) - double-LP
Official Videography
- Danzig III: How the Gods Kill: Special Limited Edition CD/VHS Box Set (1992)
- Archive de la Morte (2004) - DVD
- Il Demonio Nera (2005) - DVD
Solo
- "Who Killed Marilyn?" (1981) - 7" single
- Black Aria (1992) - LP
- Black Aria II (2006) - LP <--- Album cover can be found on http://www.danzig-verotik.com/danzig/BLACK%20ARIA2.jpg
Other
- Songs From The Earth by Son of Sam (2001) (Danzig plays guitar on track 2, and guitar + keyboards on track 5)
- You and Me (Less Than Zero) (1987) - Less Than Zero soundtrack
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