GLENN DANZIG:
HORROR BUSINESS

By Christian Cipollini
           

Navigating multiple forms of media, but predominantly known for musical compositions, Glenn Danzig will, most likely, be forever associated with a sonic landscape that aliens, demons, succubae, and serial killers all roam in twisted harmony. His voice is situated somewhere between Elvis and Jim Morrison, distinct and versatile across tonal ranges.  As a songwriter, his talents have inspired some of the very icons who first inspired him.  Working with a DIY my way or the highway flair, he succeeded in not simply surviving a cutthroat business, but earning a luminary place in entertainment history. Further spreading his demon wings to encompass books, film and more, his work seems almost unbounded within the horror genre. Now in his early fifties, the guy is still running strong, bucking commercialism as he did thirty years ago, and delivering plenty of menacing entrées for those who dare to feast. 

With three decades worth of material under his belt, the bulk created through the ups and downs of an equal number of bands – Misfits, Samhain, Danzig - he doesn’t appear to have any plans of crawling back into the crypt; it’s doubtful he’ll ever sit entirely idle basking in his accomplishments. This year alone saw the release of the long-awaited Lost Tracks of Danzig double-album, his first short novel, and his continued work adapting the comic book voodoo tale Ge Rouge to feature film.

While mystery has surrounded the man for years, personally and professionally, with a fair share of misinformation attached, it has all played a part in his overall appeal.  Though he’ll always have a private side, Danzig does offer some insight into the mindset and career span of a self-proclaimed “social misfit.” Offering his thoughts on his extensive oeuvre, the future, the horror and whether or not he’s actually Satan’s right hand crooner, Glenn Danzig speaks the unspeakable.

Born Glenn Anzalone, he entertained the idea of a life in music while only growing up in Lodi, New Jersey.  “I always wanted to do lots of different things,” he recalls of his youth. “But I remember I was a roadie… and I was also learning to play bass at the same time.”   The spark was essentially lit while lugging those crates for local bands, and more significantly – absorbing the ins and outs of band dynamics.  Glenn was indeed learning the basic design for a career in music, and then had his chance to let loose during an audition.  “Eventually,” he says, “I got a chance to sing in a band, and it went from there.”

It was the tail end of the seventies, Glenn, then in his early twenties, wasn’t all about disco glitz and glamour, nor was his vision limited to the influence of doom, blues and hard rock of bands like Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and the like.  Punk rock was reigning over the underground music scene, so equipping himself with the adopted surname Danzig, the kid from New Jersey pursued this subculture with fervor. To the questions surrounding his entrance into the genre, he clears the air saying forthrightly, “I didn’t fall into it. It was definitely going to be punk, new wave. And that’s what it was for sure, punk and new wave.” Noting the two genres were interchangeable terms at the time, the singer makes no bones about his intention to make a mark in the scene.

His now-iconic first official band – Misfits – was largely ignored by the mainstream press of the time.  Nevertheless, the allure of the horror shtick, devilock hairstyles, and the emblazoned Misfits skull logo, would build a loyal fan-base, and leave a lasting impression.  “I think to a level, I did know,” Danzig says of his early confidence in the logo’s iconic status.  “It just started to become recognized as the Misfits.  It started getting put on a lot of different stuff.”  Doing it the only way he knew how, he took it upon himself to personally design, print and paste playbills, shirts and other swag for promotion.  “It started off on a gig poster I had silk-screened,” Glenn says of the initial marketing. “Then, it ended up I did shirts with the posters.”  Heading off to shows, trying to earn a couple bucks, he says things just began to snowball with merchandise.  “So then we’d sell a couple at the shows, and try to make some money.  Everybody just started wearing the Misfits skull.”

Pointing out a motivating factor for overseeing all aspects of the band, Danzig addresses the harsh reality of the music business adding, “Basically I took the stuff to the labels and they hated it.  So, I put the records out myself on my own label.”  From 1977 to 1983, he took the numerous Misfits singles and EP’s every step of the way.  “I designed the covers, I took the photographs, I did it all,” he declares.  “I set up all the distribution with distributors, drove the records to the distributors, and to the little record stores here and there.  I made it happen.”

Misfit fiends (members of the official Misfit Fiend Club), amateur historians of the genre, and even the press often attribute the band’s moniker ultimately as homage to Marilyn Monroe’s final film of the same name, but Danzig reveals, “It was just the impetus for it. Really the reason for the Misfits was that I never felt like I fit.” He thereby wore the title like a badge of honor, literally. “It’s an old word they got from the movie, but I used to wear an old punk rock shirt that said ‘Social Misfit’ on it.”

The lineup of the Misfits was ever-changing to say the least; re-adapting was a common mode of survival. “You look at a lot of other bands and you realize not everything stays the same,” he says.  “It’s tough to work new people in, but that’s what you do.”  And indeed there were plenty of turnovers. Besides Glenn, the most recognizable members to serve were bassist Jerry Only and his brother Doyle – who entered the band at the tail end of its existence. The musical direction also faced modification, going from standard punk very early on to the more renowned horror theme. Killers, demons and outer space marauders became commonplace for the sing-along melodies often based on B-movies of the fifties and sixties (notable titles include “I Turned Into A Martian” and “Night of the Living Dead”).

Agreements on direction and potential were difficult to come by as time went on. It’s no secret that musical itinerary and dedication to the band would soon become bones of contention, and Glenn is quick to point out one principal dilemma he felt was never resolved during the short life span of the Misfits. “I think the problem we had in the Misfits…” he laughs, “was drummers.”  Of the many rumors over the years as to the demise of one of the most defining punk bands of the late seventies/early eighties – it came down to basic lineup problems in Glenn’s view.  “Drummers yeah,” he emphasizes. “Guitarists too, but mostly drummers.  I think drummers are a problem for a lot of bands.”

Personal and professional clashes certainly entered the picture. He proclaims of the entire situation, “The Misfits… basically it wasn’t working anymore.”  And in addition to numerous changes in lineup and musical ability / evolution issues, he contends – “The guys didn’t want to play anymore – they didn’t even want to be in a band anymore. It wasn’t working for a long time.” 

Glenn recalls he and, ironically, one particular drummer were already in the planning stages for the next project, Samhain, which would effectively end the existence of the Misfits. “So really, earlier on Googy [Arthur Googy, the longest running Misfits drummer, most celebrated for his presence on the highly acclaimed Walk Among Us record] and I were going to split off,” he explains of the initial plan. A little time would pass, and the change would become solidified. But to no surprise, said drummer was already listed as “former” by the time of transition. “So then, the Misfits just basically broke up. There was no Misfits once I left the band.”  As for the others guys, he says, “They started some Jesus rock band, no Misfits.”

“I immediately went into Samhain. I already had it started.  See, what happened is the Misfits was gone.  It was done, it was over.”  Recalling his perception of Doyle and Only’s aspirations at the critical time, Danzig says, “As I remember correctly, they were really into Van Halen, which I hated.  They wanted to start a Van Halen kind of band, but they were working for their father, and so it really didn’t happen either.”  The framework of Samhain was in full force, but a final Misfits task needed to be undertaken.  “I already had Samhain going,” he reiterates, but notes agreeing to perform one last show as the Misfits in 1983.  “It was our last formal show, and that’s how I billed it, then went right back into Samhain.” 

 Differing from the Misfits period, where most full albums and collections were released posthumously, Samhain released three albums (Initium, Unholy Passion EP, November Coming Fire), through the mid-eighties during the band’s actual lifespan, with one post-mortem (Final Descent). The tone was different in both musical and lyrical style than Misfits material. Samhain would further distinguish itself by delving deeper into twisted experimental darkness, putting more emphasis on the “evil” while veering away from the campy fun of the Misfits. The Initium cover art alone, a photo of the devilock-brandishing, shirtless band drenched in blood, would certainly set this group apart from the last incarnation. Samhain’s compositions were instilled with arrangements of blues, hard rock and metal, imbued with a gothic vibe. “Misfits was always considered metal, punk or something,” he says.  “I think Samhain was darker, definitely creepier for sure.”

The move was still part of a natural transition though. As Glenn remarks – “Actually there are a couple songs on the [Misfits’] Earth A.D. record that were Samhain songs.” He also claims this resolution was ultimately to avoid having the Misfits album become another EP. “Death Comes Ripping” and “Blood Feast” were two specific tracks he recalls allowing the Misfits to record.

In due course, “the heat was on”, so finding a new label for his darker incarnation was imperative.  Enter super-producer Rick Rubin.  After unleashing groups like Slayer and the Beastie Boys onto the world through Def Jam Records, Rubin broke off and started Def American (now American Recordings).  This is where Glenn found a home – for a while.  “Eventually,” he asserts, “we had to pick a label and we went with Rick – even though it wasn’t a lot of money.”  That said, Danzig felt Rubin could successfully offer a platform to bring his visions further into the light.  “It was the place to go.  He was a music guy and we would get the support we needed there.”

Interestingly, and seldom noted, Glenn contributed to the Rick Rubin-produced 1987 soundtrack for the film Less Than Zero, just prior to making the world aware of this new full time endeavor on Rubin’s new label.   Under the name Glenn Danzig and The Power And Fury Orchestra, he not only performed the track “You and Me (Less Than Zero)”, but he wrote another for the album (“Life Fades Away”) performed by none other than Roy Orbison.

Although originally hesitant in self-naming a group, Rubin offered assurances during the next transition phase. “I said I thought about calling Samhain Danzig in the beginning, but it was too much like Billy Idol, kind of hokey,” he reveals. “He [Rubin] said now it means a little more than it did back then, so you might want to consider it because if I’m going to sign you guys, I don’t want you to keep changing your name.  So we talked more about changing the lineup on each record and got to play with lots of different musicians.” In 1987, he conceded. “The choice was finally to call it Danzig.” The unit was made complete with a lineup consisting of Eerie Von on bass, John Christ as the axeman and Chuck Biscuits pounding out drum beats. One year after signing, a new monster was officially set free on the heavy metal landscape.

The clean production for this self-titled debut would carry a crystal clear sound that still retained an effectively raw minimalism, accentuating the focus on blues-inspired riffs and Glenn’s vocal abilities more than did the Samhain records. Taking two Samhain rough cuts with him, the formation would again take an evolutionary, natural step from one style and sound to another. “Twist of Cain” and “Possession” were cleaned up for an even more surgically precise sonic assault. However, the remarkable chords and menacing chorus of one track in particular would become the most commercially recognized of Danzig’s career. That song was “Mother,” and its foreboding lyrics and hard rocking vibe would serve to capture a new audience for the man who had otherwise been relegated to an underground. From the opening verse alone, Mother – Tell your children not to walk my way… it was obvious this was an aggressive new direction.  It took the mainstream media several years after its original release to give due recognition, but soon they could no longer ignore Glenn Danzig.

“I always tried to write music that would stand the test of time,” he remembers. “That’s one of the things I said when I first met Rick.”  Danzig then released two more full-length albums, Danzig II: Lucifiuge and How The Gods Kill. But in 1993, the release of an EP, Thrall: Demonsweatlive, would catapult Danzig to the forefront of mainstream music.  Radio, television and magazines had to take notice, because the listening public was taking notice.  The included live version of “Mother” was becoming a very hot commodity.  Five years had passed since “Mother” was originally released, but better late than never.  Glenn and company suddenly became media darlings, though he finds it unsurprising that outlets such as MTV didn’t like the song then, nor do they now, but they had to cover it.  Upon the success of this song (and of course the outspoken praise from artists like Metallica) press such as Rolling Stone, and others that paid him little attention in the beginning, now wanted to discuss the Misfits extensively.  Staying true to form, Glenn Danzig ardently refused for years to humor the mainstream press unless it regarded his project at hand.

1988 to 1995 was the span of albums that a segment of fans refer to as the “classic” Danzig period.  Within this time he even hit the number one spot on the classical music charts, of all places, with the release of a solo project called Black Aria in 1993, and a year later Johnny Cash, also on Rubin’s American label at the time, would sing the Danzig-penned “Thirteen” on his album, American Recording.

Then in 1996 came the release of Blackaciddevil.  A new sound was set upon the world, yet not all fans were willing to embrace the change.  Glenn had broken off from Rick Rubin’s label, made some more changes in lineup, and was now experimenting with an industrial rock/techno style.  The result was unique but alienated some of those who were either less open-minded, or simply not expecting the shift.  Glenn continued on with variations of this formula for a couple more albums before the music began to hark back to the classic form with the release of Circle of Snakes in 2005.  This was the last studio album for the full band. Reentering a realm usually reserved for prolific classic composers, and under the name Glenn Danzig, he went on to release the follow-up to his successful classical album with Black Aria II in 2006.  This haunting interpretation of the Lilith tale also hit music charts with a bang. 

Countless other projects fill the gaps in his musical output.  From a cameo appearance as the angel Samayel in the film Prophecy II, to his animated likeness featured in an episode of Cartoon Network’s Aqua Teen Hunger Force, he’s virtually everywhere an ominous presence is required. Not to mention that his music can be heard everywhere from old Beavis and Butthead shows to video games to athlete entrances.

This year finally saw the release of a project Glenn had been discussing for quite some time.  The long awaited Lost Tracks of Danzig double-album arrived in July, offering a chronological playlist of songs that, for various reasons, didn’t make it to the originally intended albums.  From Danzig’s self-titled debut to the  Circle of Snakes album, brooding tracks like “When Death Had No Name”, the controversial “White Devil Rise” and industrial terrors like “Unspeakable” would finally have a secure home.  Some songs he says were not quite in finished form at the time, while others just didn’t fit the overall theme of the intended album.  In any case, he is happy to see the set of remixes, obscurities and cover tunes in a completed form.  “I had been talking about doing it for a long time,” he recalls. “I finally got around to having the time to actually do it by not touring.”

By Glenn’s standards, touring was a great part of the wild ride, but it could be hell – and not the fun kind of hell he draws upon for ghoulish inspiration.  Now several years running, his personally-designed Blackest of the Black tour will continue, but his own presence on the bill is questionable. “They’re trying to get me to do some weekend shows,” he notes adding, “I will see if I feel like doing that.” Outside of a few shows local to the Los Angeles area, fans should not hold their breath for a Danzig live performance. With a sigh he says, “I’m pretty much done with it.” All is certainly not lost though.  Glenn always has something new for his fans to consume even if it’s not in a live environment.

Sketches of terrifying beasts, rotting bodies, and scantily clad dominatrix-types are yet another example of his supplementary offerings for those who care to indulge.  Having always been fond of comic books in general, Danzig’s graphically violent visions also became a publishing reality in the 1990s with Verotik. The comic book publisher has since become a breeding ground for horror sagas like Grub Girl, Satanika, and Jaguar God. “Oh yeah!” he quickly declares of his role in the firm, “from the beginning I picked all the artists. I did it all.  I do everything.” Similar to some of his music, Verotik’s graphic literature often incorporates fiendishly dark sexuality with the expected deluge of torture, gore, and the occult.

Danzig also envisioned the Verotik line of comics as potential films.  The first to go from pencil and ink to feature film was 
the Edward Lee story Grub Girl.  This revenge tale of a hooker-come-back-from-the-dead won’t likely be found in a Blockbuster 
store, though.  Danzig enlisted adult filmmaker Craven Moorehead to sit in the director’s chair on this one, following the passing 
of originally-slated director Clive Mclean.  Moorehead had shot some live Danzig events, as the two were friends, and Glenn felt 
comfortable with his ability.  Moorehead took the position and shot a gritty, sexually explicit, mildly gory hardcore version of the 
story.  Glenn’s satisfaction with the resulting DVD debut was evident in his comments at the time. “His adaptation of Ed Lee's 
"Grub Girl, as depicted in the Verotik Comics, certainly looks and feels like Grub Girl.” 

Glenn is currently working on re-writes of the script for another Verotik comic, only this time the focus will be on the bloodshed, with sexuality taking second chair for… dare it be said… mainstream appeal.  The narrative of Ge Rouge is replete with elements of jealousy, voodoo, revenge and a slew of zombies to boot.  A period piece set in New Orleans around the turn of the twentieth century, it’s the story of Papa John and his desire to rid himself of perceived competition – a man named Ge Rouge. Murdered at the hands of Papa John, Ge Rouge returns from the dead to wreak havoc on wrongdoers, so expect bizarre violence and bloodletting done Danzig style throughout. Though still in its infancy by movie making standards, Glenn is always thinking ahead regardless. “I started working on a soundtrack,” he says. “The soundtrack isn’t done.  I have about five songs done with a lot of voodoo drums and screaming and moaning.” Danzig’s excitement is barely containable when discussing some of the scenes and accompanying music he’s written.  “There’s a main fight scene in it where he’s hacking zombies to pieces and I wrote the soundtrack for that already.”

He’s keeping tight-lipped on some of the details, such as the casting progress. “We did talk to one person who’s lined up and really into the project,” he acknowledges without naming names. “So hopefully he’ll be into the part of Papa John.” While he tweaks the screenplay, secures talent, searches for a distributor, and looks ahead to on-location shooting, the story of Ge Rouge remains in limbo for the moment. “We pulled it from our producer and we’re shopping it to other producers,” he reveals of the difficulty in bringing this project to fruition. “We just realized that it was never going to get made with this one producer, so we pulled it from them, and we are shopping it to other people.”  His never-say-die attitude keeps him on track even in the face of filmmaking difficulties. “What it did though,” he insists, “was get us off our ass and we’re now shopping other things too.”  

Specifically, Danzig speaks of a possible chain of releases. “We’re talking to some cable stations about doing the Verotika series as a Masters of Horror kind of series,” he reveals.  “So, a lot of different scripts are in the works at the same time.”  Among the many possible adaptations, he’s also working on a screenplay based on real events that occurred close to his childhood stamping grounds.  “Back where I’m from out east, it’s about a serial killer who never got caught and killed people in a very unique way.”  Danzig says he was also personally working on a script for the Jaguar God comic, while he put the finishing touches on his first short book. “It’s kind of my take on the Elizabeth Bathory, Dracula kind of story. It’s pretty bloody,” he shares of the Drukija plot. The not-so-light summer reading balances narrative and free verse, with accompanying illustrations by Simon Bisley, who incidentally also handled, among other covers, the Lost Tracks artwork. “It will actually be my first story, not a comic book,” he insists.  “It’s like two pages of the story and then a big full visual. Then more story.”  Books, music, film and more, Glenn Danzig is indeed a busy man.
 

While many have tried at one time or another to get deeper inside Glenn’s head – just to see what makes him tick – he’s 
always going to leave us a little on edge, wondering just how real the nightmare is.  Is it all about art?  Image? Or is it the 
money that can be made when you sign a pact with the Devil? Through all of the controversies, misconceptions, 
accomplishments and reverence for his numerous endeavors, there remains that one burning question that rises above 
all others. 

“Am I a Satanist?” he fires off in a preemptive strike to the expected query.  Following a very short pause, he replies to 
his own question – “No.”  He openly admits that his art does come from dark abysmal places.  “Are there forces out there 
that you can harness, that have been mired by organized religion?  Of course.” But he explains ultimately he is no fan of 
any organized religion.  “Do I believe some of the things like striving for perfection or rebelling against authority and things 
like that? Yeah. But I’m very anti-religion. All of it. Catholicism, Judaism, Islam, all of it.”

Even when considering his iniquitous imagination and his resistance to conformity, it’s important to point out that Glenn Danzig has mellowed over time.  Whether it comes with age or experience - we may never know.  More than likely, it’s always been there, deep inside a kid from a small town who always felt outside the norm, but never stopped dreaming big. What is for certain however – Glenn Danzig is a man who likes to see his passion and vision through to its fullest potential.  Love ‘em, hate em’, or fear ‘em, Danzig is simply doing his thing, living out those dreams through strong will, years of struggle and hard work. He’s a little more open about this extensive history, but continues to retain a strong-willed, slightly menacing presence, never making apologies for taking the steps necessary to succeed. “Success is different to different people,” he says in closing. “To some, it’s money.  It never meant money to me; it meant achieving your goal.”