Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone on June 23, 1955 in Lodi, New Jersey, USA), is an American singer, songwriter and musician who is largely considered to be one of the fathers of the Horrorpunk genre of music. He is the founder of The Misfits (original lineup 1977-1983), Samhain, and Danzig. He is often associated with the Devilock, a distinctive hairstyle for which he and fellow band members of The Misfits and Samhain were known. He also owns the Evilive record label and Verotik, an adult-oriented comic book publishing company.
His musical career spans nearly thirty years, encompassing a range of genres from punk rock, heavy metal and industrial to blues and classical, and has influenced most notably Rob Zombie, Melissa Auf der Maur, Metallica, AFI and countless others. His songs have been covered by Metallica, Behemoth, Guns N' Roses, Entombed, and AFI, among others. He has also written songs for long-time idols Johnny Cash and Roy Orbison.
As a singer, he is noted for his powerful and broad vocal range. As an author, he is known for his fascination with horror, gore, occult, adult and religious themes.
His distinctive vocal style, which is reminiscent of Elvis Presley, Jim Morrison and Howlin' Wolf, coupled with his image and lyrical subject matter, have made him a controversial figure throughout his career; earning him the nickname of "Evil Elvis" along the way.
Danzig started in the music business at the age of 11 - first as a drum roadie, and then as a bass player in a few local garage bands. He had never taken vocal lessons, but the first time he auditioned for the role of a vocalist, he was surprised at the powerful voice he could achieve. His vocal prowess soon got him noticed in the local scene. Throughout his teenage years he sang for several local bands, such as Talus and Whodat And Boojang - most of which played half original songs and half Black Sabbath songs.
In 1977, at twenty-one years of age, Danzig started The Misfits, taking the band's name from Marilyn Monroe's last film. The Misfits combined Danzig's harmonic vocals with camp-horror imagery and lyrics, all backed by chaotic punk thrashing.
In 1983, after releasing several singles, two albums, and gaining a small, but devoted underground following, Danzig disbanded The Misfits due to increasing animosity among the band members and his dissatisfaction with their musical abilities.
After The Misfits, he began work on a new band project - Samhain. In 1987, Samhain was signed to a major label by producer Rick Rubin and the name of the band was changed to Danzig. The band consisted of lead guitarist John Christ, bassist Eerie Von, and former D.O.A. drummer Chuck Biscuits.
In 1987 Danzig, owing to his association with Rubin, was asked to write a song for Roy Orbison. The result was "Life Fades Away", featured in the 1987 movie Less than Zero. Danzig also contributed to the film's soundtrack with "You and Me (Less than Zero)". Eerie Von has said that the song was a salute to the 1950s song "To Sir, with Love" by LuLu, and the tracks have similar instrument changes. On the soundtrack's sleeve, the song is credited to "Glen Danzig and the Power and Fury Orchestra" [sic], which actually featured the same membership as the initial lineup of Danzig, the band, with the exception of Eerie Von. Since Von did not like the way producer Rubin wanted the bass played on the song, George Drakoulias played the bass instead.
In 1988, the band Danzig's self-debut titled album Danzig (album) followed on from the essentially heavy-metal Samhain sound. Stand-out tracks included "Twist of Cain", "Am I Demon", "Mother", and "She Rides". This last song, along with "End of Time" and "Soul on Fire", signalled Danzig's prowess with softer melodic vocalizations.
In 1990, their follow-up album Danzig II: Lucifuge marked an immediate change of musical direction. Featuring a strong Blues influence, it has often been cited as the most popular Danzig album among fans. Stand-out tracks included the bluegrass dobro of "777", the hard-rocking "Girl" and "Her Black Wings", as well as the lilting, Elvis-inspired "I'm The One" and "Blood and Tears".
In 1992, Danzig once again musically about-faced, releasing the fast, power-chord driven Danzig III: How the Gods Kill. Of the 10 songs, only the sad and soft "Sistinas" diverges from the unrelenting, dominant guitar riffs and angry lyrical content of songs like "Left Hand Black", "Godless" and "Bodies".
In 1993-1994, Danzig reached the height of their popularity and broke into the mainstream when the live video of "Mother '93" became a hit on MTV, seven years after the original song was recorded.
In 1994, the release of Danzig 4 saw a revisiting of the hard-Blues sound and further development of his vocal range; most notable in songs like "Let It Be Captured" and the haunting "Cantspeak".
In 1996, the band underwent a complete overhaul. The original lineup had fallen apart, as had Glenn Danzig's relationship with their record label, American Recordings. He enlisted new band mates, signed to a new label and recorded Blackacidevil. Once again, he explored a new musical direction; this time infusing heavy metal with industrial rock.
Danzig's subsequent three albums; the 1999 6:66 Satan's Child, the 2002 I Luciferi, and the 2004 Circle of Snakes; all musically and lyrically evolved to a more stripped down, heavier Goth metal. The Danzig lineup continued to change with each album, while Danzig's voice started to show the strain of nearly 30 years of touring.
Although Danzig's later releases never got the mainstream attention that the single "Mother" achieved, the band has maintained a growing worldwide cult following.
In 2005, Glenn Danzig's tours to support the Circle of Snakes album and the Blackest of the Black festival, were highlighted by the special guest appearance of Doyle, The Misfits guitarist. Doyle joined Danzig on stage for a 20 minute set of classic 'Misfits' songs. Afterwards, Danzig stated that this would be the closest anyone would see him to a 'Misfits' reunion.
Immediately afterwards, he took a break from touring to work on other projects and produce other bands. He is currently producing and directing his first feature film, "Ge Rouge", as well as releasing his second solo album Black Aria II (the follow-up to the Classical album Black Aria) on October 17, 2006.
