Customer Reviews

Deth Red Sabaoth

5 star:		(57)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Foreword

After the U-turn of `Blackacidevil' (1996) every Danzig album from `Satans Child' (1999) onwards has been hailed as a return to the style & form of the first four classic albums. Ironically, none of them sounded anything like the first four LPs and none of them were as good as Blackacidevil either. Following the dissolve of the Christ/Von/Biscuits line up, Blackacidevil was really more of a solo effort. Due to the popularity of `industrial' music in the 1990's D5 is often dismissed as a cash-in or as a sub-par NIN rip-off. But the truth is D5 was a fine album. Aside from the unique aural assault it provided it was also the last album on which Danzig's voice still sounded youthful and with its original full range and tracks like `The 7th House' & `Sacrifice' pulsated and pounded with a vitality not heard since. I rate D5 8/10.

On 6:66 Satans Child (1999) the main attraction of the band- Danzig's legendary howl seemed to be AWOL. 90% of the vocals on the album were either whispered, masked in filters or just sounded plain hoarse. Despite this, the nu metal stylings of the record combined with GD's songwriting did make for some cool tracks... but it tends to leave one wondering what could have been had the LP been tracked with stronger vocals.
6/10

777 I Luciferi (2002) This one was an improvement over SC. The second half of 777 was strong with some great songs, the first half? Not so great. See `Wicked Pussycat'. Longtime punk/hardcore veteran Todd Youth made his presence felt on guitar lending a more dark and thick sound to 777 than that of 6:66 and this also highlighted the direction in which the band was heading;- becoming `more metal' with each new album. It was for this shift in direction that longtime drummer Joey Castillo would leave the band in 2002 to join Queens of the Stone Age.
7/10

Circle of Snakes (2004) This was a good album, but again not great. This time the music was heavier still with an even thicker sound than 777 but with none of the swagger and laid back cool of the first three albums. Tommy Victor of Prong provided the super heavy guitar which seemed to bury almost everything else in the mix inc the vocals and the whole album felt oddly soulless. On CoS Glenn sang a bit more and although the vocals were better than say, Satans Child, they often sounded flat and he did not appear to have the same range and power in his voice as on Danzig1-5. I guess that's to be expected after almost 30 years of mayhem.
7/10

In recent years his voice of old seemed to return. Just check out videos of the bands performance at 2009's `Fun Fun Fest' in Texas. If you close your eyes you'd think you were hearing a show from the early 90's. Turns out after Glenn cut certain dairy products from his diet it restored some of his former range and tone.

And so we arrive at 2010 which brings with it the bands long awaited new album- `Deth Red Sabaoth'. DRS is the first new album by the band in 6 years and so ends the longest break between albums. The line up is rounded out with Tommy Victor on guitar and Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative) on drums. As well as vocals, Glenn shared bass & guitar duties with Victor and provided piano and even drums on one track.

Review

Hammer of the Gods (5:21) is a classic Danzig album opener- catchy galloping riffs the same tempo as `Am I demon' & `Night, BeSodom' with a sing along chorus that gets stuck in your head. In the middle there is a doomy Black Sabbath style breakdown with a whispered interlude and then one of Tommy's better guitar solos on the album. Miles better than anything on CoS and this one also goes over great live. 9/10

The Revengeful (4:11) is probably the most contemporary sounding track on DRS. It starts off with a pinch harmonic riff and an AC/DC style beat. Then Glenn kicks in as he croons about the approach of a death dealing being known The Revengeful, with the vocals perfectly mixed and full of range. The verse sections soon give way to one of the best ever Danzig choruses which recalls the feel of Lucifuge and contains that indefinable essence that makes you feel invincible. 10/10

Rebel Spirits (3:59) Awesome riff and the drums here sound so good- deep and huge! Tommy's playing on this track is much more restrained than anything on CoS where every track sounded the same. It feels less mechanical and more soulful. Similarly Glenn's vocals smolder for the most part- `rebel spirits call to thee, on this the dawn of your destiny, rebel blood strong and free, will never bow to the heavenly' later the chorus is underscored with the return of the double bass fills from the beginning and the last 1:20 of the track is just the band rocking out. One of DRS many highlights. 10/10

Black Candy (4:09) is another contender for best song on the album. The first time I heard it I was not that impressed, but like lots of great music- the more you listen, the more its true greatness is revealed and the better it gets. This is a slow one with a cool hook and Glenn also played the drums on this song. The drumming is a highlight ft. double bass fills and the snare sounds awesome as do all the drums on DRS. The vocals are also a highlight- mixed nice and high with Glenn in great form. 10/10

On a Wicked Night (4:02) is the first single from the album and as one of the most accessible it's a fine choice. It begins with an acoustic style intro/riff as Glenn sings over the top about a mysterious woman in black, possibly lady Death? from the album cover. Soon the drums kick in (Devil's Plaything style) and we get the loud version. Great song but one minor complaint I have is that the vocals in the second half don't seem to be mixed high enough and have to fight with the guitar for your attention. 9/10

Deth Red Moon (3:58) Another fav from DRS. A superb song which seems to be on every Danzig fans ideal set list this year. It's melancholy, atmospheric ... just great in every way. It paints pictures in your head, hard to describe. I love that it sounds like a maraca was used. Deth Red Moon sounds like a classic 70's rock song. 10/10

Ju Ju Bone (4:46) The riff you've heard a million times before in any other blues song but that don't matter. This one is all about the vibe. Glenn's vocals are subdued in the first half as he reflects on using the mysterious artifact to get payback on a certain girl. Then in the later stages he breaks loose with some Evil Elvis wails which sound as good as ever. To me this song represents the evolution of the band really well because it's a laid back number with simple riffs, but still contains that unexplainable Danzig magic. It's as if Glenn has distilled what makes Danzig great and if he puts that ingredient into any song it will be amazing no matter what the riffs or structure are. 10/10

Night Star Hel (6:42) Every Danzig album needs a slow evil track and this is it. The riffs are particularly sinister and the guitars sound massive. In the last two minutes the band rocks out in an extended outro section. 9/10

Pyre of Souls: Incanticle (3:18) has an almost folk feel to it and serves as the introduction to the next track- Seasons of Pain. Incanticle is much softer than the rest of DRS as it features no distorted guitars or drums. The track is essentially a riff that repeats for two minutes with layered vocals, piano & minimal percussion. 10/10

Pyre of Souls: Seasons of Pain (7:18) This track is amazing. The riffs recall Incanticle but this time instead of acoustic guitars and chimes it's a droning metallic dirge that pummels your eardrums. One thing that's cool about this track is that Glenn really lets the music breath with there being gaps between the vocals of up to two minutes. Definitely one of the album highlights. 10/10

Left Hand Rise Above (4:23) reminds me of `Let it be Captured' as it's a grandiose song in which heavy guitars are played down and the vocals are the main focus, but of course, aside from those similarities it is entirely different. This has got to be one of the top three songs on DRS and is the perfect album closer. The lyrics seem to be a celebration of individualism and inner strength and once again Glenn is in fine voice. Both simple and epic at the same time. 10/10

For the first time in 15 years Danzig has produced an album that is actually as good the first four albums, but with a looser feel and a much fatter and dirtier sound. Don't go in expecting the crystal clear / perfectly balanced production of the first four albums. One of Glenn's aims with DRS was to create an old yet contemporary sounding record- something with a bit of character. He has defiantly succeeded.

Any downsides? Well, as cool as the mix/ production is, sometimes it can be a bit choppy with the vocals occasionally not mixed high enough and the bass barely audible at all. The other downside to the album is that Tommy Victor's guitar solos are for the most part crap. A typical solo for him consists of shredding the fret as fast as he can with no meaningful direction for a certain amount of time and that's about it. His solos don't take you on a journey like those of John Christ do. So while his playing in general is more restrained and varied on DRS and with more feeling than on CoS, his solos are still lacking for the most part.

Despite its imperfections, Deth Red Sabaoth is a superb return to form. The songwriting is solid- every track, the music has that old Danzig swagger to it once more and best of all- Glenn's voice sounds awesome again. It was great to see Danzig return to the top 40 of the billboard with DRS debuting at #35. I rate this album 10/10.

Deth Red Sabaoth is the first proper studio album in 6 years. If you are an older Danzig fan you were put off by the last few studio efforts. Circle of Snakes could have been a great record- but perhaps it's greatest tragedy was the production. I still say that record wasn't as terrible as some whined it was but whatever...
Well- while it's not a triumphant return to what many call the classic-line up era BUT it's pretty darn close at times. The production and overall mood of the album feels somewhere between How The Gods Kill and the Thrall EP. At times it nearly knocks it out of the park: "Rebel Spirits"-is honestly one of the best songs Glenn has penned since the aforementioned "classic era"- Whether it's John Kelly's (Type O Negative) double kick , Tommy Victor's (Prong, Ministry) eerie arpeggios seeping through the speakers- & up front and powerful as ever Danzig himself- this is the first track that I really thought- Holy ****! The opener "Hammer of The God's" feels somewhat dull in the beginning it's not really until the big heavy middle section that the song becomes a dark anthem. Some of the backing vocal overdubs I could have lived without- otherwise a quite memorable song. (Think "long way back from hell", "Night besodom" and "godless")
That seems to be the theme here- anthems, catchy choruses, heavy guitars and creepiness. "Black Candy" features Glenn Danzig on drums- it has an attitude that reminds me of "Cantspeak" only no whiny lyrics and a heavier sound. It does feel a little cheesy -ie "Just like you're losing your mind, black candy is so hard to find". It is catchy- but is black candy really that hard to find? hehe
"Night Star Hel" is another one I really like from a vocal prospective- I close my eyes and imagine how Elvis Presley would have sounded like with Black Sabbath accompanying him. Most of this record is in a similar vain- a bit bluesy, a lot doom laden, -for the most part I found myself digging the overall vibe this album has even if- some of the production is a little bit of a mixed bag- is it a distraction? More like a minor set back...Sometimes the vocal gets a little lost in the mix- sometimes the vocal gets too loud, sometimes the drums get muddied up and sound distant- other times it's perfect, and sometimes the bass guitar is non existant. Luckily these gripes with production are like I said- MINOR. The only other weak links are perhaps the first single and b-side for the record. In conjunction w/ Deth Red Sabaoth "On A wicked Night" works- but "The Revengeful" feels a tad redundant- luckily the chorus breathes life back into the song. One song is broken up into two distinct parts "Pyre Of Souls"- the first half reads like a Black Aria staple- (Glenn's orchestral instrumental/soundtrack project) while the second half feels like gothic metal with a hypnotic riff playing through. The first half features some well sung Glenn chants while the second half feels less vibrant. It's a track that's still growing on me. It definetly builds up to a climax. "Deth Red Moon" besides "Night Star Hel" & "rebel Spirits" are well written tracks that are honestly will just grab you and never let go. I can't say enough good things about them- the rest come close but those are the winners...the rest well is just... good. :) Note to the guitarists: Yes, Tommy's tone is similar to John Christ's tone on How The God's Kill. A vast improvement over COS. Most of the tunings are Eb standard. "black candy" sounds like low e dropped to d flat while the rest of the strings in e flat tuning, "hammer..." is is d flat standard with the low e dropped a full step. And one song is even standard tuning. Yes- plenty of pinched harmonics. Overall- I'm finding that this record will have a longer shelf life than the previous proper studio album.Definetly orthy of picking up!

Good return for Danzig. Just as good if not better than 'Circle of Snakes'. The Vocals are what you expect, a couple tracks are a little repetitive or cheesy but overall it has a lot of the 'Danzig III/IV' era to it.

Overall:

The Good: 'Hammer of the Gods' is a good opener. 'Wicked Night' has a Dirty Black Summer vibe, 'The Revengeful' is a Prong styled gem with its slicing guitar notes, 'Rebel Spirits' is vintage Danzig and a good track. 'Night Star Hel' is a slow dirge. Sabbath style, slow, dreary but Danzig stamped. 'Left Hand Rise Above' Reminds me of 'Let it Be Captured' off IV and 'Goin Down to Die' from III mxed. Good song and a good tempered screaming vocal performance. Ends the disc well.

The Average: 'Deth Red Moon', tame and a slow point on the disc. I mean why bother at this point to try the softer sound thats formulaic? I don't know. Not very memorable, at least for me.
'Pyre of Souls', is an 11 minute 2 sectioned track with some decent guitar work, but the first section titled 'Intanticle' is overly grandiose yet forgettable. Decent guitar work again, but it drags a bit and the production does not allot for this type of stuff on this disc. Just doesn't fit well. The second part 'Seasons Of Pain' is good, old school Danzig though, with good guitar work and a great, classic Vocal. It could have been trimmed by about 3 minutes though. Victor doesnt have the bluesy passion in his soloing to pull off the stretched out ending.

The Bad: 'Ju Ju Bone', 'Black Candy' (even with the squealing guitar), The production.

They went for 'RAW' once again and this is. Its a dirty listen. If you tweak the equalizer its good, but its obvious that this is a Danzig/Victor project because they both vow for command on most of this disc with little bass under. Drums sound decent enough. But this had to be intentional for the raw sound. It is not slick by any means. Its good at times, but for the tamer side, its not as effective.

I will say though, Tommy Victor's playing style is very different for this band. I can see why some don't take to it. I am a huge Prong fan so I like it for the most part. The only thing it lacks is a bit of 'passion' and I think that's what people are missing. That's not a knock at all. The older Danzig stuff had a bluesy style that had space for good solo's. Victor cuts for the throat and is a loose player. He really was never much of a lead guitarist as Prong was pretty riff driven, did not have many solo's and mostly had pretty short songs. He is stretching out in Danzig and very well for the most part. Its a different vibe, I like it. Some may not.

Still worth the money. 80% Quality Danzig material.

As a massive Misfits, Samhain and Danzig I-III (and maybe some of IV) fan for over two decades now I was having a harder and harder time defending Danzig in light of his four last efforts . This is better than IV, and while not as good as I-III, it's still pretty awesome. The muddy production may put you off at first but makes sense after you sit through the whole album.

I agree with some of the comments here about the guitar solos, they aren't up to Jon Christ's bluesy feel and amount to just a load of fret wankery, but that's largely the only downside to a great album by someone who has been releasing consistently good stuff for over 30 years now!

After trying to find something that I could grasp in "Satan's Child", I bought "I Luciferi" needless to say, I can't locate the cd, if that means anything. But I just got this in the mail today, and as a fan of Misfits/Samhain/Danzig(pre-AcidDevil) I was enthralled. This is a TRUE return to form, and I am so pleased that Glenn got to show the world once again what a great talent he is.

Forget the haters, true Danzig fans will be in heaven (or hell?) after one listen. I dig just about every track on here. No BS.

I actually got this a week before it came out and had to resist the temtation to post the first review so that I could ,hear it enough to give it a fair review, and I'm glad that I did becouse I really think this one gets better the more you hear it. First the Bad: the mixing could be a lot better the bass is mixed very low some one else compared it to "And Justice for All...", I don't know if it's that bad but it's not far off, and the overall sound has a bit of a "muddy" sound when compared to the clarity of the Rubin produced albums. Next "Black Candy" and "JuJu Bone" are two songs I could do without I usually skip past them. Lastly I though "Pyre of Souls" would have been better had they been one song especially since the first is just a build up to the second. And that's it that's all the bad stuff and it really is quite minimal. Now on to the good, First off Tommy Victor is smoking on this one. If I had heard this before reading the liner notes I would have thought it was John Christ back on Guitars, he's really shown his ability for versatility here. Next is Johnny Kelly's drums he was also in top form here, I'll be intrested to se what path his career takes with the recent and sudden demise of Type O Negative (R.I.P.) Moving On, if you read all the reviews on this album it seems that everyone has a different favorite song which I think shows how overall good this really is, my favorites are "Hammer of the Gods" and "Deth Red Moon" for my money these two tracks stand up with the some of Danzig's classics. With that in mind the first 3 tracks "Hammer of the Gods", "The Revengful" and "Rebel Spirits" are collectivly Danzig's best 1-2-3 of any album ever. Bottom line I don't think Glenn has ever released a "bad record" (although some have been much better than others) but this one stands up with his best. If your a Danzig fan you'll like this record, if you don't like this record than your probablly not a real Danzig fan and you might as well go look for some Britny Spears or somthing.

I bought the cd around ten this morning and i've played it straight over and over for four hours. A majority of the reviews are right on, this is the closest to the "classic era" Danzig. Is it a back to old ways? Yes, and no. Just like many reviewers here, I've been a long time follower and seen him live 5 or 6 times; and they were all amazing times of my life. The funny thing is when he went industrial, I should've liked it because i do listen to the genre;but it just sounded trite. And you wouldve thought that his "evil" persona should've melded well with the dark cold atmosphere of industrial music,but it didn't. This album to me like it should've been disk 3 of the Lost Tracks (which is great by the way.) All the song are great in this album,very chorus oriented. I like it, it's a great album. Production is alright, I guess. But i wonder how it would sound like w/ Rick Rubin. Lyrically, it's not his best, but it's not bad either. I'm enjoying it so go buy it! Be glad the industrial Danzig is done.

I was lucky enough to purchase a copy of this 3 days earlier than the release date at an in-store signing by Glenn Danzig (and later the same night I saw the band live for the 6th time!). Deth Red Sabaoth is awesome. A killer Danzig album. My only complaint would be that the bass guitar is mixed way too low. Like almost "...And Justice For All" low. This is odd too considering that Glenn himself played most of the bass on the album. You'd think he would want to pump his efforts up a little higher in the mix! Tommy Victor stands out even more on this than on the previous album, Circle Of Snakes. He really gets to shred and let loose with some great solos on this one. Johnny Kelly provides a good solid backing on the drums and fits Danzig's style perfectly. Steve Zing, former Samhain member who has been the Danzig's bassist for a the past few years now does not appear on the record at all for some unknown reason to me. Glenn and Tommy did the bass duties on the album. Maybe if Steve was there the bass would've been louder in the mix!

Deth Red Sabaoth is filled with killer Danzig material. Hammer Of The Gods, Left Hand Rise Above, and Black Candy are my 3 favorites. Like I said, the whole thing is killer and full of GREAT songs. Even On A Wicked Night, my least favorite track on here is starting to grow on me. The album has a bit more of an epic feeling to it than any other Danzig release and Tommy Victor really shines through on this the way John Christ used to on the original 4 albums.

As for all the weird spellings I have no answer! Deth Red Sabaoth? Night Star Hel? Deth Red Moon? If weird spelling means something will rock as hard and awesome as this then I am ok with it. Danzig rules.

I've been a fan of Danzig for many years and always look forward to every new release. The last few releases have been very sub-par for me, but with Deth Red Sabaoth I feel its a return to form for Danzig. In my opinion this may be the best album since 4. Dont get me wrong, I enjoy 5-8, but they cant hold a candle to 1-4. This one however does. Tracks that stand out for me are "Black Candy", "Hammer of the Gods", and "Rebel Spirits". The rest are amazing as well. I'm liking the sound this album delivers and think that long time fans will feel the same after listening to this masterpiece.

To put "Deth Red Sabaoth" in perspective, consider the span of Glen Danzig's career, not just the last 23 years with the band Danzig. What makes this album so satisfying is that touches on nearly every style in his ouvre - from the punk/thrash of the Misfits to the gothic/death metal of Samhain to the evil blues metal of early Danzig. The first "Pyre of Souls" track even evokes a bit of the "Black Aria" material. The best news, of course, is that Glenn's voice is back and sounding better than at any point in the last ten or fifteen years.

Some have taken issue with the murky production, comparing it unfavorably with Rick Rubin's trademark crispness. Well, fair enough, but go back to the Misfits and Samhain; would a clean production have really enhanced any of those songs? Not in my humble opinion. To me it adds an extra dimension to the darkness and a gritty primitiveness that suits the material.

Standout tracks for me included "Deth Red Moon," "Left Hand Rise Above," and "On A Wicked Night." All three are instant additions to a best-of collection. That said, there's not a track on the album that isn't solidly constructed and well executed, though a few, like "Ju Ju Bone," aren't particularly memorable. Although Danzig isn't really pushing the envelope on this album, at this point he doesn't have to. Whether you're a long time fan or a first time buyer you can't go wrong. "Deth Red Moon" will give you a hefty slab of the classic Danzig sound.