Danzig II: Lucifuge
| Danzig II: Lucifuge | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Studio album by Danzig | ||||||||||
| Released | June 26, 1990 | |||||||||
| Recorded | Hollywood Sound Recorders, Larrabee Sound Studios, 1989–1990 | |||||||||
| Genre | Heavy metal[1] | |||||||||
| Length | 49:26 | |||||||||
| Label | Def American Recordings | |||||||||
| Producer | Rick Rubin | |||||||||
| Danzig chronology | ||||||||||
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Danzig II: Lucifuge is the second album by American heavy metal band Danzig. It was released in 1990 on Def American Recordings and was reissued in the USA and UK in 1998 by Def American's successor, American Recordings.
Music and recording
Lucifuge has a pronounced blues influence that adds a sinister edge akin to records by Howlin' Wolf or Robert Johnson,[3] who have both been accused of playing the "Devil's music". Thematically, a number of songs throughout the album ask questions about the concept of evil.[4]
Glenn Danzig said that the song "Killer Wolf" is “my version of an old blues song about a guy who wolfs around the door of every girl in town.”[5]
Glenn Danzig has described "I'm the One" as “another blues song...about a guy realizing his destiny.”[5] "I'm the One" was originally recorded for Danzig's debut album, as John Christ explained: “We actually recorded "I'm the One" for the first record, but we decided to save it for this record. It fit the mood of the second album much better. Glenn wanted to do that song for a long time – he even knew what kind of video he wanted it to have long before we did it. It's a cool song: just some guitar and vocals and a little hi-hat in the background.”[6]
The introduction to "Long Way Back from Hell" begins with the use of the dive bomb guitar technique.[6] Guitarist John Christ explained: “We worked on the beginning of that song for a long time before we finally got it right – it always sounded too empty. But when Eerie came in with that galloping bass-line, it all kind of fell into place. It has a lot of energy to it and was probably one of the best songs on that album.”[6]
Glenn Danzig spoke about the challenge of writing the song "Her Black Wings": “I always know beforehand what kind of record I want to make. Those ideas dictate how the songs will sound. And sometimes it's not always easy to execute the ideas. For example, writing "Her Black Wings" was a laborious and tedious experience – but that's the way it had to be for the song to come out right.”[7]
"777" is a song about "Armageddon"[5] and includes the use of slide guitar.[8]
"Blood and Tears" is a Roy Orbison-like ballad about “a girl's failed relationship and her subsequent torment”,[5] and is one of Glenn Danzig's personal favorites from the album.[8][9]
The lyrics to "Snakes of Christ" tell of Glenn Danzig's view that the teachings of Christ have been perverted by religious groups.[5] Glenn Danzig has mentioned in interviews the very noticeable similarity between the main riff from "Snakes of Christ" and that of the later Stone Temple Pilots song "Sex Type Thing".[10]
Regarding the song "Tired of Being Alive", John Christ has suggested that “Lyrically, I think the words are about the way Glenn was feeling at the time.”[6] The remaining songs feature subjects including love, sex and religious themes.[5]
A song titled "The Other Side" was finished but not released on the album.[11]
Prior to the album release, Glenn Danzig noted how the band had improved in the interim between the debut recording and the recording of Lucifuge: “Everybody's much more comfortable with each other now. We've toured with each other, hung with each other. The rhythm section is much tighter. It's just a much better band, and that comes through on the album.”[11]
Album title
Before its release the album had been tentatively titled "777".[12] The title "Lucifuge" is the imperative form of the Latin compound verb lucifugere, "to flee the light", derived from the noun 'lux' (light) and the verb 'fugere' (to flee). If the title is to be taken literally, "Lucifuge" is thus a command: "flee the light", a phrase included in the lyrics to the song "Girl". It could also be a reference to the Grand Grimoire demon Lucifuge Rofocale.
Artwork and packaging
Most formats feature the original full-color "faces" album cover, composed of portrait photographs of the four band members: these include the 12" vinyl LP, the audio cassette, and the original pressings of the European and Japanese CDs. The most widely distributed format, the North American CD, features the alternate "chest/cross" album cover, a cropped black-and-white close-up of the photograph of Glenn Danzig found on the back of the LP sleeve and on the interior of all formats. All CD releases feature the "faces" picture on the rear of the CD tray.
Early pressings of the CD include a booklet that unfolds into an inverted cross.[13] The booklet features the passage "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do", the King James translation of John 8:44.[14]
Newer American Recordings pressings have a "Parental Advisory: Explicit Content" label printed on the booklet artwork; previously this had been a sticker on the outer cellophane wrapping. Like Danzig, this album was issued a Parental Advisory label despite the only instances of profanity being mild and infrequent (in this case, one use each of the word "bastard" in "Long Way Back From Hell" and "Pain in the World", and use of the word "bitch" twice in "Her Black Wings").
As with the debut album, Lucifuge was distributed by Geffen Records, but due to the nature of Danzig's music, the company refused to put its name on the packaging.[15]
Critical reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [16] |
| Robert Christgau | B–[17] |
| Entertainment Weekly | A–[18] |
| Rock Hard | 10/10[19] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [20] |
| Spin | [21] |
In a positive review for Entertainment Weekly, music critic Greg Sandow said that the album is stronger than its predecessor and called Danzig "a unique hard rock band that thinks evil dominates the world – and seriously examines the consequences."[18] College Music Journal observed "a dank bluesy influence" which makes "thundering riffs crunch and groove as the band delves into more styles than ever before."[22] Robert Palmer, writing in The New York Times, called it "one of the most accomplished and absorbing rock albums of the year" and a "quantum leap" for Danzig, whose founder displays a voice that makes "the persona he often assumes in his lyrics, that of evil incarnate, all the more powerful and believable."[4] Trouser Press gave the record a positive review "Lucifuge corrects the debut's flaws: Rubin's production is much fleshier, and Glenn exercises the theatrical satanic-pagan muscle-stud angle to entertaining effect. The songs (especially the cool, dank beauty of "Her Black Wings" and the '50s-style melodic tearjerker, "Blood and Tears") are consistently stronger; a heavy dose of voodoo blues (the stripped-down "I'm the One") adds pungent flavor to the thematic and musical brew."[23] In a negative review, Robert Christgau labeled the album a "turkey", indicating "a bad record of some general import".[24]
In 2002, Spin magazine named Danzig II the 33rd greatest metal album of all time.[25] The magazine's Doug Brod said that it is "perhaps the best collection of songs on a Glenn Danzig album" and remarked that Rick Rubin "mightily punched up" his production after producing Danzig's debut album.[21]
Music videos
Music videos were released for the songs "Her Black Wings", "Killer Wolf", "I'm the One" and "Devil's Plaything". Glenn Danzig and Vincent Giordano directed all videos, aside from "Killer Wolf", which was directed by Anton Corbijn. The video for "I'm the One" includes a scene where Danzig wrestles a live alligator.[26] All music videos from the album appeared on the Lucifuge home video.[27]
Track listing
- "Long Way Back from Hell" – 4:23
- "Snakes of Christ" – 4:33
- "Killer Wolf" – 3:59
- "Tired of Being Alive" – 4:03
- "I'm the One" – 3:21
- "Her Black Wings" – 4:46
- "Devil's Plaything" – 4:13
- "777" – 5:39
- "Blood and Tears" – 4:19
- "Girl" – 4:12
- "Pain in the World" – 5:52
All songs written by Glenn Danzig.
Credits
Production
- Producer: Rick Rubin
- Engineers: Dave Bianco, Sylvia Massy, Brendon O'Brien, Martin Schmelze, Jim Scott
- Mastering: George Marino at Sterling Sound, NYC
Charts
Album – Billboard (North America)
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | The Billboard 200 | 45 |
References
- ↑ Hicks, Robert (December 22, 2006). "Danzig brings metal and mythology to Sayreville show". Daily Record. Morristown. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
the band redefined its identity with a combination of heavy metal and goth romanticism on its CD Danzig II
(subscription required) - ↑ "Official Danzig Website". Danzig-verotik.com. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
- ↑ "Review of Danzig II". Metal Muscle. Summer 1990. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
- 1 2 Palmer, Robert (November 4, 1990). "POP VIEW; Dark Metal: Not Just Smash And Thrash". The New York Times. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Danzig: By His Own Design". Faces magazine. Summer 1990. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
- 1 2 3 4 Kitts, Jeff (July 1994). "Prime Cuts: John Christ". Guitar School. Retrieved August 23, 2010.
- ↑ Kitts, Jeff (September 1994). "The Dark Knight Returns". Flux Magazine. Retrieved April 20, 2011.
- 1 2 Gitter, Mike (June 30, 1990). "Glenn Danzig: Brawn to be Wild". Kerrang!. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- ↑ Zogbi, Marina (Summer 1990). "Danzig Returns". Misfits Central. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- ↑ Blush, Steven (October 1997). "Glenn Danzig Interview". Seconds magazine. Retrieved December 19, 2009.
- 1 2 Chirazi, Stefan (July 1990). "DANZIG Into The Black". RIP magazine. Retrieved January 2, 2010.
- ↑ Zogbi, Marina (May 1990). "DANZIG: A Helluva Guy". Metal Maniacs. Retrieved December 6, 2009.
- ↑ Weidenbaum, Marc (August 1990). "Horror Business". Pulse!. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
- ↑ "John 8:44". scripturetext.com. Retrieved February 23, 2010.
- ↑ Sherman, Lee (December 1990). "DANZIG Into the Light". Faces magazine. Retrieved April 3, 2010.
- ↑ Steve Huey. "Danzig II: Lucifuge - Danzig | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2015-04-17.
- ↑ Christgau 2000, p. 72.
- 1 2 Sandow, Greg (July 13, 1990). "Lucifuge". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
- ↑ "Review anzeigen". Rock Hard (in German). Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ↑ DeCurtis, Henke & George-Warren 1992, p. 177.
- 1 2 Brod, Doug (August 2007). "Discography: Glenn Danzig". Spin. New York: 94. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ↑ "Danzig: Danzig II – Lucifuge". College Music Journal. November 10, 2000. Retrieved August 27, 2010.
- ↑ "DANZIG". Trouser Press. Retrieved 2013-10-08.
- ↑ Christgau 2000, pp. xvi, 72.
- ↑ "40 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time". Spin. New York: 98. September 2002. Retrieved July 9, 2013.
- ↑ Sherman, Lee (June 1991). "Lucifuge video review". Faces magazine. Retrieved December 30, 2011.
- ↑ "Lucifuge – Home Video". Danzig-Verotik.com. Retrieved December 27, 2009.
Bibliography
- Christgau, Robert (2000). Christgau's Consumer Guide: Albums of the '90s. Macmillan. ISBN 0312245602.
- DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (1992). The Rolling Stone Album Guide: Completely New Reviews : Every Essential Album, Every Essential Artist (3rd ed.). Random House. ISBN 0679737294.
External links
- Danzig II: Lucifuge at Discogs (list of releases)