You can’t have an article about Danzig without talking about The Misfits at least a little bit. When I was a kid and first getting into punk rock, The Misfits always stood out to me because of their retro horror movie themes and more ominous undertones than the other pioneers of that particular genre. They weren’t exactly trying to be fun and nostalgic like The Ramones, or going out of their way to be obnoxious like The Sex Pistols, or screaming out in protest like The Clash. The Misfits were kind of on the sidelines in this cooler, exclusive sort of way. Instead of sock hops or revolutions, their playground was graveyards. Instead of burning down London or picking up chicks in muscle cars, they were raising the dead and romancing zombies. Being a fan of pre-Beatles pop music already and just getting into the Universal Pictures horror icons like Dracula and Frankenstein’s Monster, The Misfits were just what the doctor ordered!
Mind you, I was around ten years old at the time so I really didn’t care about scenes, or what the punk lifestyle was about, or what punk really meant. I just thought of it as a music style that only a select group of people could enjoy. Maybe I was right? Regardless of authenticity or showmanship, song writing ability, musicianship, The Misfts were just fun. One of the bigger factors in that was Glen Danzig. By the time I had gotten into The Misfits, they were touring with Michael Graves as an entirely new band with their own respective style and poise, but I always liked the earlier works. As for Danzig’s solo career, I really wasn’t a really big fan. Of course I liked “Mother” and a few songs here and there, but that cool, horror punk theme was gone and replaced by douchery. Part of The Misfits appeal for me was the feeling that they were kind of making fun of goth rock while celebrating it, but with Samhain and Danzig, he was serious…or at least I think he was/is? The line is so blurred that it’s just lame. Now it’s 2015 and after years and years of teasing us, he has finally released the tenth Danzig album, Skeletons.
Right off the bat Skeletons’ cover pays tribute to both his early stint with The Misfits as well as David Bowie, giving us some hope that this covers album will have a little less of Danzig’s infamous arrogance and little bit more fun. Releasing an album of covers seems cliché these days for aging, once great rock stars but it’s also a logical step into what these artist have in store for them if they plan on sticking around this late in their career. Let’s face it, Glen Danzig is no longer relevant in the mainstream (even though that viral video of him getting knocked out is pretty funny, and wildly entertaining) but at this point, which punk rock pioneer is? Even The Misfits themselves are a touring nostalgia act who plays to all-age audiences across the country. Besides, when they make official licensed backpacks and new born onesies with The Misfits logo, it’s time to admit that the scene is dead.
Skeletons is a collection of songs that Danzig claims shaped who he is an artist today. The opening track “Devil’s Angels” is a cover of a theme song to an early 60s biker movie done in a lo-fi garage rock sort of way. Does it really get more Danzig than that? That track sounds fun! It’s the first time I could use that word to describe anything from Danzig since I don’t even know when, or if ever if you exclude The Misfits! Does this new found excitement and entertainment work for the rest of the album? Well yes and no.
Songs like “Devil’s Angels,” as well as the obscure Elvis cover “Let Yourself Go” are great to hear Danzig seemingly not taking himself as serious as he has been in the past better part of 25 years. These are the kind of songs that were almost tailor made for his over-the-top cheesiness. Especially the ZZ Top cover “Rough Boy,” which in itself was song that band recorded as a throw back to same era that Danzig cut his teeth on, influencing his early career. Sadly for every bright spot, there is a sour patch. The Black Sabbath classic “N.I.B.” is laughably bad and The Troggs’ song “With A Girl Like You” sounds like your kid’s little league coach, having too much to drink at a barbecue trying to karaoke a Green Day song in the style of Jim Morrison in hopes of impressing any willing, desperate soccer moms. Just picture that for a minute.
The biggest offender of Skeletons is the production quality. Sure, punk styled hard rock doesn’t need glossy production, and in most cases shouldn’t have it, but this album is very spotty when it comes to consistency. One minute a song sounds like it was recorded in the same place where he recorded his last three records (for better or worse) and the very next song sounds like it was recorded in a shower in the basement. There are some spots where it sounds as if the reverb on the vocals is natural due to poor acoustics. On the topic of questionable production choices, the intro to Danzig’s cover of Aerosmith’s “Lord Of The Thighs” is made up of four second drum loops from what sounds like a royalty free sample pack that comes free with any recording software. Now, we know he has an actual band including a competent drummer, so why use such lame samples? I doubt it was in the name of art, because the sample is of a live kit. Another insult is the over usage of pinched harmonics on the guitars. I know that sounds nitpicky to hear me say that, and you are probably thinking that being I’m a guitarist myself, I’m just being a tone Nazi, but seriously every single track can’t go a millisecond without this annoying squeal. “Find Somebody” is almost unlistenable because of this. It’s a shame because it’s probably the best vocal performance on Skeletons.
I would comment on the track listing itself but Danzig claims these are some of his favorite songs that have influenced him over the years. I understand the Elvis inclusion, as well as The Everly Brothers, but I find that the statement of Aerosmith, ZZ Top, and Black Sabbath being a major influence, a little questionable. No Ronettes? No Frankie Lymon? Of course who am I to question one’s personal influences, but I’m willing to bet that some of the rights to the songs included here were probably easier and cheaper to obtain. When I find myself enjoying songs on Skeletons, I’m not entirely sure if I’m legitimately enjoying them, or I’m appreciating the songs themselves. That’s a problem that I deal with when it comes to these cover album gimmicks. Which leads me to my final thoughts on the album.
Skeletons could have been a lot worse. It works on a level where we get to hear Danzig have fun again. Even at his most brooding, here sounds like he isn’t being too serious. Some of the tracks are really lazy but I can’t remember the last time Danzig was lazy with anything (okay, “Kiss The Skulls” is a direct rip-off of Marylin Manson’s “Beautiful People”) but the sloppiness here seems more like a vulnerability than a handicap. Danzig is getting old and obviously slowing down and I think it’s about time for him to reflect on what being in the entertainment business really means to him. I personally think that’s exactly what Skeletons is about. If that’s the case, I applaud Danzig for that. However, if it’s NOT the case and he thinks that this is an amazing achievement proving to the world that he can even own the songs he didn’t write, then I would say that Danzig’s special issues are a bit more serious than we thought.
Rating: 2/5