''Deth Red Sabaoth'' is the ninth studio album by American
heavy metal band
Danzig, released on June 22, 2010, through Evilive/
The End Records
The End Records is a record label in Manhattan that specializes in rock, heavy metal, indie, and electronic music.
Early years (1998–2005)
The End Records was founded by Andreas Katsambas in Pasadena, California, with the goal of helping ...
.
''Deth Red Sabaoth'' marked Danzig's highest-charting album since the release of ''
Danzig 4'' in 1994.
Background
Nearly two years in production, ''Deth Red Sabaoth'' is the first release of new Danzig studio material in six years, since 2004's ''
Circle of Snakes
''Circle of Snakes'' is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Danzig. It was released on August 31, 2004. It is the first studio album by the band since their debut recording not to have a number incorporated into its title (t ...
''. However, in these six years, frontman
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Allen Anzalone (born June 23, 1955), better known by his stage name Glenn Danzig, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, film director, and record producer. He is the founder of the rock bands Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He owns ...
had released his second solo album, entitled ''
Black Aria II'', in 2006, while Danzig (the band) released a compilation of previously unreleased material, entitled ''
The Lost Tracks of Danzig
''The Lost Tracks of Danzig'' is a compilation album by American heavy metal band Danzig. The set showcases a number of previously unreleased Danzig songs, ranging from the band's first recording sessions in 1987–88 until the sessions for D ...
'', in 2007.
Music and recording
For ''Deth Red Sabaoth'', Danzig took a different approach to recording: "I wanted to have an organic sound, bigger and thicker, so I went out and bought some 1970s Kustom tuck 'n' roll bass amps to play some of the guitar parts through. You'll hear real reverb, real tremolo on this album, which sounds completely different than the stuff that's done with computer chips."
Glenn Danzig produced the album himself, recorded most of the bass tracks, and played drums on the song "Black Candy",
his first drumming credit since select tracks on his former band
Samhain's 1986 album ''
November-Coming-Fire''.
''Deth Red Sabaoth'' is the first studio album to feature drummer
Johnny Kelly
Johnny Kelly (born March 9, 1968) is an American musician, best known as the former drummer of gothic metal band Type O Negative. He is the current drummer for the bands Silvertomb, A Pale Horse Named Death, Kill Devil Hill, Danzig, and Q ...
(who once joined Danzig during their 2002-2003 tour, but became a full-time member in 2005). It is also the second Danzig album to feature
Tommy Victor
Thomas M. Victor (born 1961/1962) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for heavy metal band Prong, which he founded in New York City in 1986, as well as the guitarist for ...
on guitar. Bassist
Steve Zing
Steve Zing (born Steven Paul Grecco; June 29, 1964) is an American drummer. He has performed with Implosion, Mourning Noise, and The Undead before joining Samhain.
He graduated in 1982 from Lodi High School in Lodi, New Jersey together with ...
(who joined the touring band in 2006) does not appear on the album, as bass guitar duties were handled by Glenn Danzig and Tommy Victor.
Opening track "Hammer of the Gods" makes reference to
Ragnarök
In Norse mythology, (; non, Ragnarǫk) is a series of events, including a great battle, foretelling the death of numerous great figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, Týr, Freyr, Heimdallr, and Loki), natural disasters, and the submers ...
, a great battle in
Norse mythology
Norse, Nordic, or Scandinavian mythology is the body of myths belonging to the North Germanic peoples, stemming from Old Norse religion and continuing after the Christianization of Scandinavia, and into the Nordic folklore of the modern peri ...
.
When asked about various proposed meanings of the song "Black Candy", Glenn Danzig responded "It's a metaphor for so many different things so they could be right and they could be wrong. But it is about a lot of different things, not just one thing."
A song titled "Long Dark Road" was recorded during the ''Deth Red Sabaoth'' recording sessions and was talked about prior to being finished, however it is not featured on the final track listing. Glenn Danzig has confirmed that the song was never intended for inclusion on the album.
Album title
According to Glenn Danzig, the word "Sabaoth" found in the album title is the original pronunciation for the word "
Sabbath
In Abrahamic religions, the Sabbath () or Shabbat (from Hebrew ) is a day set aside for rest and worship. According to the Book of Exodus, the Sabbath is a day of rest on the seventh day, commanded by God to be kept as a holy day of rest, as G ...
", and is unrelated to the later
Hebrew
Hebrew (; ; ) is a Northwest Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Historically, it is one of the spoken languages of the Israelites and their longest-surviving descendants, the Jews and Samaritans. It was largely preserved ...
use of the word to mean "armies".
Artwork
The album artwork was designed by American artist
Joe Chiodo.
Album editions
''Deth Red Sabaoth'' is distributed in the USA by The End Records, and distributed in Europe by
AFM Records
AFM Records GmbH is a music label based in Schwalmstadt, Germany. They focus on the heavy metal musical genre, signing bands such as U.D.O., Doro, Lordi, Kotipelto, Masterplan, Nostradameus, and Annihilator.
In 2005, Candlelight Records ...
.
There are several editions of the album available:
*Digipak CD (The End Records)
*Digipak CD limited edition (AFM Records)
*Jewel case CD (AFM Records)
*12" black vinyl - limited to 2,000 copies (The End Records)
*12" red vinyl - limited to 1,000 copies (The End Records)
*12" picture vinyl - limited to 2,000 copies (AFM Records)
Two limited edition box sets are also available, with the contents held within a ''Deth Red Sabaoth''
urn
An urn is a vase, often with a cover, with a typically narrowed neck above a rounded body and a footed pedestal. Describing a vessel as an "urn", as opposed to a vase or other terms, generally reflects its use rather than any particular shape or ...
:
*''Deth Red Sabaoth'' digipak CD, "On a Wicked Night" 7" vinyl, autographed poster - limited to 666 copies (The End Records)
*''Deth Red Sabaoth'' digipak CD limited edition, certificate of authenticity, 4 ''Deth Red Sabaoth'' buttons - limited to 1,666 copies (AFM Records)
Singles
"On a Wicked Night" is the album's first single, debuting at #6 on Billboard's Top Singles chart.
The single has also been released as a:
*7" vinyl - limited to 2,000 copies (The End Records)
*Promo CD - with promo sticker (sold during the 9-city ''Deth Red Sabaoth'' tour) (The End Records)
*7" vinyl - with picture sleeve (AFM Records)
"Ju Ju Bone" is the album's second single.
The single has also been released as a 7" vinyl through AFM Records.
Reception
*''
About.com'' - "A powerful sonic statement which echoes the legacy and reaffirms the musical legitimacy of this legendary man and band...Everything is working as a well-oiled machine, and it's Danzig the BAND who return here as conquering, triumphant kings."
*''
Ultimate Guitar
Ultimate Guitar (Ultimate Guitar USA LLC), which is also known as Ultimate-Guitar.com or simply UG, is an online platform for guitarists and musicians. Its website and mobile application provides guitar tablature catalogues and chord sheets. ...
'' - "''Deth Red Sabaoth'' is proof that you don't need to play ultra fast to be granite heavy...''Deth Red Sabaoth'' is a quality offering that won't replace his first three albums in anyone's mind but will surely jog your memory as to why you loved this artist in the first place."
*''
Fearnet
Fearnet was an American digital cable television network, website and video on demand service owned by Comcast. The network specialized in horror entertainment programming through a mix of acquired and original series, and feature films.
Backgro ...
'' - "The songwriting, arrangement and energy of this project all hold true to the elements that make Glenn and company great – dark, haunting and seductive themes, memorable hooks and a solid, warm sound that balances violent musical aggression with a doom-heavy melancholy feeling and still holds the power to seduce listeners to the dark side."
Music videos
Music videos have been filmed for the songs "On a Wicked Night",
"Night Star Hel",
and "Ju Ju Bone".
The music video for "On a Wicked Night" was shot on location at the '
BatCave
The Batcave is a subterranean location appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. It is the headquarters of the superhero Batman, whose secret identity is Bruce Wayne and his partners, consisting of caves beneath his personal ...
' in the
Hollywood Hills
The Hollywood Hills are a residential neighborhood in the central region of Los Angeles, California.
Geography
The Hollywood Hills straddle the Cahuenga Pass within the Santa Monica Mountains.
The neighborhood touches Studio City, Unive ...
and features the pornographic actress Layla Rivera.
The video for "Night Star Hel" remains unreleased. "Ju Ju Bone" was the third music video from the album and features the use of
CGI effects.
Track listing
# "Hammer of the Gods" - 5:20
# "The Revengeful" - 4:10
# "Rebel Spirits" - 3:58
# "Black Candy" - 4:08
# "On a Wicked Night" - 4:02
# "Deth Red Moon" - 3:58
# "Ju Ju Bone" - 4:45
# "Night Star Hel" - 6:42
# "Pyre of Souls: Incanticle" - 3:18
# "Pyre of Souls: Seasons of Pain" - 7:17
# "Left Hand Rise Above" - 4:22
All songs written by Glenn Danzig
Credits
*
Glenn Danzig
Glenn Allen Anzalone (born June 23, 1955), better known by his stage name Glenn Danzig, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, film director, and record producer. He is the founder of the rock bands Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He owns ...
–
vocals
Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or witho ...
,
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gu ...
,
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
,
piano
The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a musica ...
,
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
(on "Black Candy")
*
Tommy Victor
Thomas M. Victor (born 1961/1962) is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and producer. He is best known as the lead singer and guitarist for heavy metal band Prong, which he founded in New York City in 1986, as well as the guitarist for ...
–
guitar
The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected string ...
,
bass
Bass or Basses may refer to:
Fish
* Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species
Music
* Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range:
** Bass (instrument), including:
** Acoustic bass gu ...
*
Johnny Kelly
Johnny Kelly (born March 9, 1968) is an American musician, best known as the former drummer of gothic metal band Type O Negative. He is the current drummer for the bands Silvertomb, A Pale Horse Named Death, Kill Devil Hill, Danzig, and Q ...
–
drums
A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair of matching drumsticks ...
Production
* Producer: Glenn Danzig
* Mixing: Glenn Danzig, Chris Rakestraw
* Engineer: Chris Rakestraw
Charts
References
{{Authority control
Danzig (band) albums
2010 albums