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Already from the cover, shamelessly reminiscent of The Doors' debut, there's a whiff of revival in the air. And listening to "Lucifuge", the second act in Glenn Danzig's solo career, only confirms those suspicions, since we are faced with the customary recipe of seventies hard rock, Sabbathian obsessions, and vocal excesses that incestuously blend the most apocalyptic Jim Morrison with the most devilish Elvis Presley.
Danzig's music, after all, has always been derivative. And while this may be seen as a huge limitation in the compositional abilities of the former Misfits singer, it is equally necessary to recognize his ability to stitch together, with remarkable ease, forty years of music and pull something extremely personal and recognizable from miles away out of the hat.
For this reason, what is most important to underline about this release from 1990 is actually the fact that we are facing an artist in splendid form and a band finally cohesive and ready to run at full speed: Chuck Biscuits gains power and precision, and furthermore nails the right timing; Eerie Von's bass finally makes itself heard and, vigorous, constitutes a solid framework for the compositions, as energetic as ever; John Christ is certainly not a six-string virtuoso, nor the most original guitarist in the world, but it's pleasing to find him more relaxed and more versatile in supporting the histrionic singer.
Danzig is Danzig, after all: you either love him or hate him.
"Lucifuge" thus ends up becoming probably the most successful work of Danzig's solo career, on one hand remedying the naivety and uncertainties that plagued the raw debut while keeping the level of inspiration high, which would experience a slight decline already by the subsequent "How the Gods Kill".
And if you really have to find a flaw, that flaw lies essentially in the overly polished sounds, unfortunately akin to the typical glossy productions of eighties metal. Because if it's true that Danzig's music finally enjoys a professional guise, it's equally true that a bit more sonic dirtiness would have certainly done some good.
The punk of origins, it's clear, is now a distant memory. Instead, those who love the more visceral and frantic rock will rejoice.
How to resist, for example, an opener like "Long Way Back from Hell": driving guitar, pulsing bass, crackling drums, and then Danzig's scream, a sort of infernal Elvis intent on vomiting obsessions, dark omens, searing visions, a disruptive Charon in a convulsive, unstoppable river of electricity.
How can one not be thrilled by the Sabbath-like "Snakes of Christ", destined to become a classic of the band; or not be moved by "Killer Wolf", a kind of electrified "Love Me Tender" elevated to the nth power, or by "Tired of Being Alive", a wrenching blues with darkly twilight tones.
And how not to smile, finally, at the macho poses flaunted in "I'm the One", a sly acoustic blues that presents us with the most conceited and paradoxical Danzig (as the lyrics say, a worthy manifesto of Danzig thought: "I was born in the dirt, I never had no home, and the places I've lived, you don't wanna know, but if you wanna hear evil, come a little bit close; I was a snake-eyed boy, and at the age of five, I made love to the howl of the wolves, w/a dark-haired girl, so if you wanna hear evil, come a little bit close").
"Her Black Wings" retraces the paths of a rowdy hard rock decidedly more suitable to our protagonist, even if, in my opinion, the track itself represents the dullest and most predictable moment of the entire album.
Of a completely different caliber is the succeeding "Devil's Plaything", half nightmare ballad and half powerful hard rock assault, where the undeniable AC/DC once again become the reference point. The final choruses are unmissable, among which stands out the desperate cry of a Danzig who doesn't want to hold back even when he should: an epic and tragic ending at the same time that shows us how the most pumped rock can, under Danzig's direction, take on the movements of an abysmal gospel for the damned.
"777" is another masterpiece of the album: opening with a hypnotic blues riff, it will soon turn into a roaring Zeppelin-style rodeo, boasting an anthem-like chorus ("Seven seven seven is my name, seven come and seven go and seven will remain!"), a chorus to shout mercilessly at your neighbors until the end of their days.
With "Blood and Tears" you catch your breath for a moment: it's the inevitable slow track of the album. Full of fifties moods, it boasts a fundamental Hammond organ that imparts pathos and a retro feel to a truly engaging piece. But, needless to say, it's the heart-wrenching performance of the fearless vocalist, once again transformed into a heart-breaking Elvis, that makes it something special. One of those tracks to listen to when the woman leaves you, and you find yourself crying in bed, biting pillows, with knuckles cracked from punching the wardrobe, and already massively drunk by eleven in the morning.
"Girl" proceeds majestically with a guitar riff that evokes the most solemn AC/DC, while the last track, the apocalyptic "Pain in the World", is a blatant theft at the expense of Led Zeppelin, and in particular the superb "Dazed and Confused", from which the main riff and smoky atmospheres are pilfered.
And so what?, I say, even if he copies like a rogue (but then again, Led Zeppelin also copied like rogues), Danzig proves to be a truly respectable interpreter, capable of embodying the most authentic spirit of a thoroughbred rocker. With the added attention to the desperate blues of African-Americans, those who came back with broken backs from the cotton fields and sang all the world's pain in the evening.
With the only difference being that Danzig breaks his back in the gym...
Tracklist Lyrics Samples and Videos
01 Long Way Back From Hell (04:23)
Yea
Sold into slavery down in New Orleans
Goddess
Of the bayou light
Black dog's head on the killing bed
Severed
And left to bleed
There on fire
In the corner of the world
There in misery
There on fire
In the corner of the world
Left for God to see
Do you want to take a life
Do you want to cross that line
'Cause it's a long way back from Hell
And you don't want to go with me
Yea, poison father of the human race
God
Of the tainted blood
Malevolence
Sneaking up the spine of the world
Ready for the bastard son
There on fire
In the veins of man
There in misery
There on fire
In the veins of man
Left for God to see
Do you want to take a life
Do you want to cross that line
'Cause it's a long way back from Hell
And you don't want to go with me
Do you want to take a life
Do you want to take a life, yea
Do you want to cross that line, oh
Do you want to cross that line
Wanna cross that line
Oh
Sold into slavery down in New Orleans
Goddess
Of the bayou light
Black dog's head on the killing bed
Severed
And left to bleed
There on fire
In the corner of the world
There in misery
Lucifer's face
In the mirror when you look
Left for God to see
Do you want to take a life
Do you want to cross that line
'Cause it's a long way back from Hell
And you don't want to go with me
And it's a long way back from Hell
And you don't want to go
02 Snakes of Christ (04:34)
Time to run
Time to hide
Holy war in the land of fire
Never tempt the
Wrath of gods
Gonna dance in the death of life
Take the hand
Enter the world
Just remember you will surely die
Never sell
Evil for lies
Gonna give you the kiss of life
Serpents of the lord
Crawling
To the will of god
Serpents of your lord
Crawling
All evil
Serpent jesus
Snake of christ
Nailed to a cross
Of a holy design
Blood to water
Water to wine
Whip the soul 'til a mother cries
Bring it down
Pierce the side
Start the legend w/a funeral rite
Serpent jesus
Snake of christ
Gonna build you
A world of lies
Serpents of the lord
Crawling
To the will of god
Serpents of your lord
Crawling
All evil
Oh yea
Oh yea
Oh yea
Crawling
Serpent Jesus
Snake of Christ
Nailed to a cross
Of a holy design
Blood to water
Water to wine
Whip the soul 'til a mother cries
Bring it down, baby
Pierce the side
Start the legend with a funeral rite
Serpent Jesus
Snake of Christ
Gonna build you
World of lie
03 Killer Wolf (03:59)
i'm the wolf
i'm the one you want
i'm the killer wolf
i'm 'onna pound you home
howlin' all night
i curl up next to you
when you're alone
when i go inside your little girl
when i go inside your little girl
chorus
just one kiss
from my lips
rake your soul
over burining coals
just one touch from my love
make you howl
'til the sun comes up
i'm the wolf
howlin' all night
i'm the wolf
i put the chill in your bones
i'm the wolf
huntin' you down i ain't no back door wolf
i don't scratch at no doors
04 Tired of Being Alive (04:03)
Don't care
If 'n' you die
Ain't got no reason to cry
Don't feel
Don't need to
Your world ain't nothing to me
I'm fear
I'm your heretic
I'm doom waiting for the number
7 up 7
To the 6 on 6
Bring it on to me
Chorus:
And I'm tired of being alive
Spite of the bleeding
Bleeding light
And I'm tired of their bleeding light
Don't try to feed me
Full of your lies
No regrets
To bring me no tears
Never scared of things men fear
Never easy
Never clean
To be a beast among human sheep
I am fear
I am your heretic
I am your doom
Waiting for the number
7 on 7
To the 6 on 6
Bring it on to me
(Chorus x2)
05 I'm the One (03:21)
I was born in the dirt...
I never had no home..
And the places i've lived,
you don't wanna know..
But if you wanna hear evil,
just come a little bit close...
I was a snake-eyed boy..
And at the age of five,
i made love to the howl of the wolves
with a darkhaired girl..
So if you wanna hear evil,
come a little bit close..
She whispered in my ear,
little boy you're the one..
Set the world to rights,
or make it tremble in fear..
Do it one more time,
'cos you're the one, you're the one...
You're the one, you're the one...
You're the one, you're the one
Yeah, you're the one,
Little boy, you're the one...
Do it one more time..
She said the path you walk,
gonna be hard one to tread..
'Cos the night is your only love,
lots of girls going to be hurt..
Said it's part of your fate,
'cos you're the one, you're the one..
And now i know my place,
in this life i ride...
And i know the things i feel
are burning deep inside..
So if you wanna meet evil,
come a little bit close...
'Cos im the one, i'm the one...
08 777 (05:39)
Comes the light
Comes the flame
Comes the child who is
Come the sword
Come the flame
Come the end of bliss's reign
Come the dawn
Come the day
Wake the softest soul up
Come the fire
Come the change
Lick the rose of Venus' shame
Come the night
Come the death
Down the path out of
Seven
Seven
Seven is my name
Seven come
And seven go
And seven
Still remain, yea
Seven
Seven
Seven is my name
Seven on the grandest scale
And seven
Still remain, yea, remain
And the light
And the flame
Take the path on
And the night
And the day
Fall upon the knees of
And the child
In the flames
Casted out of Eden
Seven
Seven
Seven is my name
Seven come
And seven go
And seven
Still remain, yea
Seven
Seven
Seven is my name
Seven on the grandest scale
And seven
Still remain, yea, yea
Seven on
Seven on
Seven on
Remain, yea
10 Girl (04:12)
Girl
Let's climb too high
Let's climb too high
For the stars
To reach us girl
Girl
I'm gonna take you hard
I'm gonna bring you higher
Than your mind
Can take you
Girl, let's climb too high
Let's climb too high
For the world to reach us girl
Girl, let's flee the light
Diaphanous
Let's slip into the night
Girl
I'm gonna slip inside
I'm gonna slip inside
Fly on fire to your mind
Girl
I'm gonna take you hard
Gonna take you harder
Than your body can take you
Girl, let's climb too high
Let's climb too high
For the stars to reach us girl
Yea
Girl, let's climb too high
Let's climb too high
For the world to reach us girl
Yea
Girl, let's climb too high
Let's climb too high
Yea, let's climb too high
Let's climb too high
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