Danzig

Released on August 30, 1988, this is Danzig’s first solo record — his self-titled album — bringing something completely different from the horror punk we were used to hearing in the Misfits and Samhain. Here the heavy metal influence is stronger, with touches of hard, stoner and blues rock, which led some to label the music as “Blues Metal.”

The whole album is a beautiful walk through a dark, dense atmosphere, yet with a nice melodic touch. Some tracks hit the listener harder, like the opening track “Twist Of Cain,”

an old Samhain song whose version here surprisingly surpasses the original. “Am I Demon”

is also badass, driven by a great guitar riff and two excellent solos by the outstanding guitarist John Christ.

“Soul On Fire”

and “Mother”

are other highlights; the latter eventually became Danzig’s biggest hit. “End Of Time”

is also worth mentioning, with a picked intro that gives way to a melancholic and heavy sound, featuring great variations.

The lineup behind this record is exceptionally capable: John Christ on guitar and Eerie Von on bass are superb, Chuck Biscuits delivers heavy and versatile drumming, and Glenn, as always, does an excellent vocal job — a sound that resembles a mix of Elvis Presley and Jim Morrison. If you’ve never heard any of Danzig’s work, start with this one: it’s an essential piece in his career; if you don’t like it, you probably won’t enjoy much of what he released afterward.