Glenn Danzig
Glenn Allen Anzalone, better known by his stage name Glenn Danzig, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, actor, film director and record producer. He is the founder of the rock bands Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He owns the Evilive record label as well as Verotik, an adult-oriented comic book publishing company.
Beginning in the mid-1970s, Danzig's musical career has encompassed a number of genres through the years, including punk rock and heavy metal, and incorporating influences from industrial, blues and classical music. He has also written songs for other musicians, most notably Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison.
As a singer, Danzig is noted for his baritone voice and tenor vocal range; his style has been compared to those of Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison, and Howlin' Wolf. Danzig has also cited Bill Medley as a vocal influence. In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked Glenn Danzig at number 199 on its list of the 200 Greatest Singers of All Time.
Early life
Danzig was born Glenn Allen Anzalone, the third of four sons, in Lodi, New Jersey. His father was a television repairman and a United States Marine Corps veteran of World War II and the Korean War. His mother worked at a record store. Danzig and his family also spent some time living in Revere, Massachusetts. Danzig began listening to heavy metal music at an early age, and has described Black Sabbath, the Ramones, Blue Cheer, and The Doors as being among his early musical influences.At age 10, Danzig began to use drugs and alcohol, leading him into frequent fights and trouble with the law. He stopped using drugs at age 15.
While growing up, Danzig began reading the works of authors including Charles Baudelaire and Edgar Allan Poe, developing his appreciation for horror. Danzig collected comic books and, frustrated by American comics, he started his own company to produce "crazy, violent, erotic comics".
Danzig graduated from Lodi High School in June 1973, aspiring to become a comic book creator and professional photographer. He attended the Tisch School of the Arts and later the New York Institute of Photography. Danzig formed an adult-oriented comic book company called Verotik in the mid-1990s.
Musical career
Early career
Glenn Danzig's introduction to performing music began when he took piano and clarinet lessons as a child. He later taught himself how to play the guitar. Danzig started in the music business at the age of 11, first as a drum roadie and then playing in local garage bands. He had never taken vocal lessons, but his self-taught vocal prowess gained him attention in the local scene. Throughout his teenage years he sang for several local bands, such as Talus and Koo-Dot-N-Boo-Jang, most of which played half original songs and half Black Sabbath songs.Misfits and Samhain (1977–1986)
In the mid-1970s, Danzig started the Misfits, releasing the band's records through his own label. Danzig had attempted to get the Misfits signed to several record labels, only to be told that he would never have a career in music. The impetus for the band's name comes from Marilyn Monroe's last film, combined with Danzig considering himself to be a "social misfit". The band released several singles and two albums, spawning a cult following. Danzig disbanded the Misfits in October 1983 due to personal and professional differences. He later explained, "It was difficult for me to work with those guys, because they weren't prepared to put in the hours practicing. I wanted to move things forward, and they didn't seem to have the same outlook."Before the disbanding of the Misfits, Danzig had begun working on a new band project, Samhain, which began when he started rehearsing with Eerie Von. Danzig took the name of the band from the ancient Celtic New Year. Initially Samhain was conceived as a punk rock "super group". The band briefly featured members of Minor Threat and Reagan Youth, who contributed to Samhain's 1984 debut, Initium. The band then settled with a lineup consisting of Eerie Von on bass, Damien on guitar, and Steve Zing on drums. In 1985 the Unholy Passion EP was released, followed by November-Coming-Fire in 1986.
Samhain eventually attracted the interest of major labels including Epic and Elektra. Rick Rubin, music producer and head of the Def Jam label, would see the band perform at the 1986 New Music Seminar, on the advice of then-Metallica bassist Cliff Burton. Danzig has credited both Burton and Metallica frontman James Hetfield with helping to raise awareness about his music: "I first met them at a Black Flag gig, and then we became kinda friends. We'd often bump into each other on the road...James and Cliff helped to spread the word about me, and I was very grateful to them."
Danzig
"Classic" era (1986–1994)
In 1986, after two albums and an EP, Samhain was signed to a major label by Rubin and the name of the band was changed to Danzig to allow the band to retain its name in the event of line-up changes. Danzig discussed the reasoning behind the name change: "Rick convinced me it was the way to go, and would also provide me with a lot more artistic freedom. After all, I was now in charge of where we were going musically, so if I didn't want to do something, it was a lot easier to say so." Danzig's intention at the time was for each album he recorded to consist of a different recording line-up, allowing him to keep working with different musicians. The original band consisted of guitarist John Christ, bassist Eerie Von, and former Circle Jerks–DOA–Black Flag drummer Chuck Biscuits.In 1987, Danzig, owing to his association with Rubin, was asked to write a song for Roy Orbison. The result was "Life Fades Away", featured in the 1987 movie Less than Zero. Danzig also contributed to the film's soundtrack with "You and Me ". Danzig had originally been asked to write the song for a female vocalist, but when Rubin could not find a suitable singer, Danzig recorded the vocals himself. The song is credited to Glenn Danzig and the Power Fury Orchestra, which featured the same membership as the initial lineup of Danzig, with the exception of Eerie Von. Since Von did not like the way producer Rubin wanted the bass played on the song, George Drakoulias played the bass instead.
In 1988, the newly formed band Danzig released their eponymous debut. Its sound showed a progression from the gothic–deathrock sound of Samhain, to a slower, heavier, more blues-based heavy metal sound.
In 1990, the band's sophomore effort, Danzig II: Lucifuge, marked an immediate change in musical direction. The album's overall bluesier tone and somewhat milder approach were departures from Danzig, featuring a '50s-style ballad and a full-on acoustic blues.
Other projects in 1990 included the final Samhain album, Final Descent. The album was started under the title Samhain Grim several years prior. The album contained previously unreleased studio recordings, at least some of which had been intended for the Samhain Grim album before it was aborted.
In 1992, Danzig again changed musical direction, releasing the darker Danzig III: How the Gods Kill. Several songs featured a more textured, slower sound between fast, dominant guitar riffs.
Also in 1992, Danzig tried his hand at composing classical music with Black Aria. The album debuted at number 1 on the Billboard classical music chart.
In 1993, Danzig released Thrall-Demonsweatlive, an EP featuring both studio recordings and live tracks. Danzig broke into the mainstream when the live video of "Mother '93" became a hit on MTV and earned Buzz Bin rotation, six years after the original song was recorded. During this time the band reached its commercial peak, with both the debut album and Thrall-Demonsweatlive being certified Gold, and "Mother" becoming the band's highest charting single. Both Danzig and Thrall-Demonsweatlive have since been certified Platinum.
In 1994, the release of Danzig 4 saw the band going further into a darker, heavier and more experimental sound. The album also saw further development of his vocal style and range, most notable in songs like "Let It Be Captured", and a more blues-based approach on songs like "Going Down to Die".
Also in 1994, Danzig's song "Thirteen", written for Johnny Cash, appeared on the latter musician's album American Recordings.
Later years (1995–2004)
In 1996, the band underwent a complete overhaul. The original lineup had fallen apart, as had Glenn Danzig's relationship with their record label, American Recordings, with label owner Rick Rubin's involvement as producer diminishing with each album. Danzig would later engage in a legal battle with Rubin over unpaid royalties and the rights to the band's unreleased songs. Danzig enlisted new bandmates, most notably Joey Castillo, who would be the band's drummer until 2002.Once again, he explored a new musical direction and recorded Blackacidevil, this time infusing heavy metal with industrial rock. Danzig went on to sign a deal with Hollywood Records, which led to several religious groups boycotting its parent company, Disney, for signing a controversial "satanic" band. As a result, the label pulled support for Blackacidevil and the record deal was severed.
In September 1999, Danzig signed his band to E-Magine Records, becoming the first artist on the label. The deal also led to the release of a Samhain box set and the re-release of Blackacidevil.
Danzig's subsequent three albums, 6:66 Satan's Child, I Luciferi and Circle of Snakes, all musically and lyrically evolved to a more stripped down, heavier gothic metal sound. The Danzig lineup continued to change with each album, while Danzig's voice started to show change after years of touring.
In 1999, during the U.S. touring for the album 6:66 Satan's Child Danzig reunited Samhain along with drummers Steve Zing and London May. Then-Danzig guitarist Todd Youth was invited by Glenn Danzig to fill in the guitar position for the Samhain reunion tour, replacing Samhain's original guitarist, Pete "Damien" Marshall, who had opted out in order to tour with Iggy Pop. Eerie Von was not invited to rejoin Samhain due to personal issues within the band. Both Zing and May handled bass duties, switching from drums to bass in between the "Blood Show".
In 2003, Danzig founded the Blackest of the Black tour to provide a platform for dark and extreme bands of his choosing from around the world. Bands featured on the tour have included Dimmu Borgir, Superjoint Ritual, Nile, Opeth, Lacuna Coil, Behemoth, Skeletonwitch, Mortiis and Marduk.