DanzigBlack Laden Crown

I’m tempted to give Black Laden Crown, the 11th studio album from Glenn Danzig’s legendary Danzig outfit, a perfect 10 out of 10 score. Because, f–k me, Danzig is a god. A grumpy, musclebound, ageing, God.

I’m also tempted to give Black Laden Crown, the 11th studio album from Glenn Danzig’s legendary Danzig outfit, an abysmal 0 out of 10 score because those masterful first four albums are really all you’re going to need from the Evil Elvis this side of Samhain.

It’s like the ‘zig is trying to confuse you with BLC. The record oscillates between perfection and woeful self-parody. Some songs will have you saying ‘this is the most brilliant thing ever’. Others will have you just wishing you’d just logged on to the internet and looked at some hilarious photo of Danzig and felt warm thoughts and never bothered with his new record.

But what makes Black Laden Crown so fascinating is when Danzig manages to be perfect and bullshit in the same song.

But what makes Black Laden Crown so fascinating is when Danzig manages to be perfect and bullshit in the same song. The squealing guitar lines and ominous, thudding drum patterns of Skulls & Daisies make you wish you were listening to Twist of Cain, but then as the mid-tempo number bucks convention and keeps its pace, and Danzig croons “dagger through the heart, makes you insane.”

Over the noticeably brief nine songs of Black Laden Crown, Danzig makes the case for his otherwordly brilliance, just as he makes a case for retirement as a general concept. Upon listening to the whole record though, one can only err towards his brilliance. After all, he is still Danzig. Fuckin’ Danzig, dude.

STANDOUT TRACKS: The Witching Hour, Blackness Falls, Devil on Hwy 9
STICK THIS NEXT TO: Nothing. Nobody puts baby Danzig in a corner.

Black Laden Crown is out May 26 through Nuclear Blast.