After earning cult hero status as the frontman of Samhain and the Misfits, Glenn Danzig stepped into the mainstream with a group named after him. The band used the horror-themed lyrical imagery of his previous groups and created a darker and more devilish sound.
Amazingly, Danzig became the ideal vehicle for Glenn Danzig’s theatrical and booming vocal style. He cited Jim Morrison, Roy Orbison, and Elvis Presley as his key influences. Members of the band include Eerie Von (bass), John Christ (guitar), and Chuck Biscuits (drummer).
The band’s first two albums, Danzig (released in 1988) and Danzig II: Lucifuge (1990) not only set the template for the band’s sound, it is also considered one of their definitive works. In 1993, the band released Thrall: Demonsweatlive, which combined both live and studio material.
The live version of Mother earned the band a major MTV hit. Unfortunately, Danzig 4, their 1994 offering, was the final album that featured the original lineup. In 1996, the band released Danzig 5: Blackacidevil, which showcased Glenn Danzig experimenting with industrial-influenced sounds and taking a bigger role as an instrumentalist.
In 2015 and 2020, the band released Skeletons and Danzig Sings Elvis respectively to pay homage to some of his key influences. Danzig was formed in 1987 and immediately inked a deal with Def American, Rick Rubin’s record label. Danzig III: How the Gods Kill marked the band’s full-fledged venture into gothic romanticism.
In 2016, Danzig set aside years of personal and legal squabbles with Jerry Only (Misfits bassist), and they headlined a pair of shows during the Riot Fest festivals in Chicago and Denver. Since the shows have been successful, they played a few more shows, including a sold-out show at Madison Square Garden.
A massive Elvis fan, Glenn started recording covers of Elvis songs with the intention of releasing a tribute EP. His collection of Elvis tracks eventually grew into a full-length album. The result is the masterpiece Danzig Sings Elvis, which was released in April 2020.
