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Class 6(66)

Danzig: Danzig II - Lucifuge

07/01/09  ||  Daemonomania

Released: 1990

Introduction

If any Danzig album truly deserves to be called a classic, this is it. The Mephistophelean Midget and his merry band were at the height of their powers, making Elvis blubber in his grave whilst churning out one awesome blues-metal riff after another. More complex than their first effort, less experimental than their next two releases, and leagues above the assdribble Danzo’s been shoveling out recently. For traditional heavy metal with swagger, it doesn’t get much better than “Lucifuge”.

Songwriting

9. Metal the old way with a heavy blues influence and a touch of doom. There’s some great faster songs on here, some slow moving headbangers, a straight-up blues number or two, and even a ballad that would have made Mr. Presley proud. If it weren’t so damn evil. The choruses stick in your head like you were Trotsky in Mexico City circa 1940. Danzig and the original lineup do it simple, but they do it well.

Production

9. Sounds pretty good to me. I mean, Rick Rubin was involved. He didn’t fuck up much. Everything in it’s right place – Danny Boy’s vocals up front, and the rest of youse fucks in da back!

Guitars

8. I’ll bet Danzig’s wondering what John Christ is up to these days. Anyway, the best guitarist he’ll ever have did a great job pumping out the hits. And some truly memorable solos while he was at it. Sure, there aren’t sweep archipelagos and insane stop-start peninsulas all over the place. But that would fit this type of music about as well as O.J.’s bloodstained glove.

Vocals

10. Danzig sat alone by the low fire, nothing on such a bitter night. He brooded over what he had just seen – the frightening face of Fat Elvis in his doorknocker.

“Fuckin’ humbug,” Glenn exclaimed.

‘Twas then that he heard a scraping sound, deep down, as though someone were dragging a heavy paunch across the floor. The noise grew louder, coming up the stairs, pausing right outside his door.

“It’s humbug still!” said Danzig. “I won’t believe it.”

His color changed though, when, without a pause, it came on through the heavy door, and passed into the room before his eyes. Upon its coming in, the dying flame leaped up, as though it cried, “I know him; Elvis’ Ghost!” and fell again.

After a bit of discussion, Elvis told Danzig, “You will be visited by two more ghosts, since I’m a-filling in as the ghost of Danzig’s deep past.”

“I think I’d rather fuckin’ not,” Danzig snarled.

“Well,” Elvis mumbled in a Southern accent between bites of a huge peanut butter and bacon sandwich, “you ain’t got a choice. Next, you’ll be visited by Jim Morrison, the ghost of your vocal style’s more recent past. He’ll probably make you take a bunch of drugs. And then the ghost of Danzig future, well, that’s a scary sumbitch. He’s about as in shape as I was when I passed, but still wears ridiculous mesh shirts. And his vocals totally suck.”

“Oh shit. Losing my voice! My whole life would be over. Well, this sounds like a process that could take all night, and I’ve got a hot goth chick I’m fixing to bang out in Hoboken at 11. Couldn’t I take `em all at once, and have it over, Elvis?” Glenn asked.

Elvis did not reply, but instead shuffled toward the open window, flying out to join thousands of other spirits of dead rock and rollers floating through the night air.

Bass

6. The dude’s name is Eerie Von. Points for that alone. Anyway, as it seems in most albums we review all we can say is that he adds to the low end, has a moment or two where he is allowed to shine, and overall is not worth talking at length about.

Drums

8. Again quite fitting for this style of metal. Not crazy, but you can tell old Chucky Biscuits can hit the kit hard. Quite a fine and rockin’ performance. Christ, Eerie, and Biscuits, besides having great stage names, were the lineup that made Dannon Yogurtzig famous – too bad he iced ‘em.

Lyrics

9. I can sing along with a good portion of this, which is surprising given that most of the lyrics are pretty involved. Sure there’s are some kindergarten level sex stuff, but Danzig’s pagantastic musings on tracks like “Her black wings” and “Long way back from hell” are quite effective. My all-time favorite lines on “Lucifuge” have to be from “I’m the one” though…

I was a snake-eyed boy
And at the age of five
I made love to the howl of the wolves
With a dark haired girl

DAMN. Danzig was banging hoes at the age of five. I’ll bet you didn’t lose your cherry until at least your teens. What a fucking badass. However, I’ll bet that dark haired girl had more satisfying lays before and since. Five year olds, dude, five year olds.

Cover art

5. Gee, I wonder who came up with the idea of putting his own hairy chest on the front of the album. “I’ll bet I get more chicks if they see what a feral, hungry Satanic killer wolf I am!” Holding the logo-cross he made in shop class, Danzig’s nipples stand up at attention begging for you to purchase this. Or you can get the alternate cover, where they tried to copy The Doors. I’d get number one – for the bromance and for the booklet, which will be discussed shortly.

Logo

1. It says “Danzig.” His logo was way cooler elsewhere.

Booklet

10. On my copy the thing folds out into an inverted cross. Excellent. And the lyrics and band pic. But most importantly, inverted cross. Therefore, a ten.

Overall and ending rant

8. This one of the albums that got me into metal, thanks to a good buddy playing it for me with a big grin on his face. Many a smoky afternoon was spent imitating the Evil Elvis’ vocals and laughing our asses off. And now you can have that pleasure too. Like early AC/DC, simply good music you can’t go wrong with. Gather the family around, bust out a board game, and join ma and pa in a chorus:

Serpents of the lord
Crawling to the will of god
Serpents of your lord
Crawling, all evil!

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