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Danzig
American
Like other Danzig discs up to now, the release of Danzig 4 was preceded by a flood of frothing publicity generally claiming the quartet (and vocalist Glenn Danzig in particular) to be the savior of heavy metal. Well, at least this time, the groupkinda deserved it. Danzig 4 is Danzig’s best effort since 1989’s eponymous debut, effectively splicing smart, spare melodies with Glenn’s bluesy, somewhere-betwixt-Elvis-and-Morrison croon. Danzig has penned tunes that put his bandmates’ instruments on an equal plane with his voice, allowing guitarist John Christ in particular to shine on such happy little ditties as “Bringer of Death” and “Until You Call on the Dark.” And if the heavily muscled frontman can’t resist the occasional lapse into overindulgence—as on the the breathy “Cantspeak” and the operatic “Going Down to Die”—you can forgive him: After all, he’s gotta read his own press.