Review : DANZIG – “Deth Red Sabaoth”

Danzig - Deth Red Sabaoth
released June 22nd, 2010 on Evilive/The End Records

Rating: 3.5/5

Danzig returns with their ninth studio album, the first since 2004’s Circle Of Snakes. Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative, Seventh Void) now joins the band in the studio (though he has been drumming on tour since 2002), and longtime Danzig cohort Tommy Victor (Prong, Ministry) returns on guitars. This is also the first album to feature his former Samhaim bandmate Steve Zing on bass, though Glenn mostly handled the four-string himself, and even sat behind the drums on “Black Candy”. Historically a hands-on kind of guy, Deth Red Sabaoth is self-produced, like most of his projects.

The overall tone of Deth Red Sabaoth is dark and sinister––a Danzig trademark. “Hammer Of The Gods” starts off strong with punishing bass licks and well-timed drumming. Think the Misfits but with a slightly heavier feel. I really like what they’re doing on “Rebel Spirits”, as it sounds like it could have have been recorded sometime in the 1980s. The drums and bass mesh very well and create this nice droning effect at the end of the track. “On A Wicked Night” and “Ju Ju Bone” both showcase Glenn’s gloomy crooning, with the former being a slow, stripped-down rocker and the latter picking it up with strong guitar/drum work. “Night Star Hel” throws in a hint of bluesy doom that is quickly reminiscent of Black Sabbath but with a Danzig twist to it. “Pyre Of Souls” is meant as a two-part opus:  ”Incanticle” serves more as an intro with its entrancing acoustic atmosphere, while “Seasons of Pain” brings back the moody heaviness on the longest track here.

If I have any criticism to show, it’s that the overall tone seems repetitive at times. It is almost formulaic but I’m willing to let it slide because if it works for Glenn Danzig, why change it?  To sum things up as someone new to Danzig, I believe this is a decent album that could serve as a crossover of sorts for Misfits fans. I cannot say for sure if this is the best Danzig album ever, but I like what I’ve heard and Glenn has won over a new convert.

FCC OK
Try:  1, *3*, *8*, 9, 10

01. Hammer of the Gods
02. The Revengeful
03. Rebel Spirits
04. Black Candy
05. On a Wicked Night
06. Deth Red Moon
07. Ju Ju Bone
08. Night Star Hel
09. Pyre of Souls: Infanticle
10. Pyre of Souls: Seasons of Pain
11. Left Hand Rise Above