Review Summary: With I Luciferi Danzig has dropped almost all of the industrial elements that moved in after Danzig IV. Fans who were let down with Blackacidevil and Satan's Child should check this out.
Danzig's seventh full length,
777: I Luciferi, was released in 2002 on Danzig's label, Evilive Records, and distributed by Spitfire Records. The album is a return to form since the break up of the original lineup after
Danzig IV. Though the sound isn't the same, the quality of the songs are much improved since the lineup disruption. When compared to the couple of CD's before this one,
I Luciferi is Danzig's metamorphosis into the beautiful gothic butterfly that he is capable of being. At the beginning, Danzig is a fat little caterpillar with long black hair, covered in blood from mutilating baby birds in their nest all day. When the mother bird comes home, the nefarious Danzig caterpillar sings her
Mother from his first release before proceeding to desecrate her. He does this to gather enough energy whereupon he wraps himself in a cocoon with 666 printed on the outside to morph into a bloodthirsty butterfly with a booming Jim Morrison type voice. By the end you are ruminating the beauty of the circle of life and possibly either starting the CD again or watching the Lion King.
The album starts with the instrumental
Unendlich which sets the tone for this musical journey immediately. It's slow and eerie and everything you would expect from a Danzig instrumental opener. The second track,
Black Mass, chugs along at mid-tempo and this is where things really begin. One thing you'll notice from the start is that the vocals aren't mixed very high. It's almost as if the instruments overtake Glenn's voice at times. For some this will be a blessing as Danzig's vocals are something you either love or you hate. Unfortunately this aspect of the CD makes it appear vocally weak in some songs.
The first half of the album is great save for a few shaky spots, namely
Wicked Pussycat which is the weakest song on here musically and vocally. The second half is where the album really shines.
Dead Inside starts off slow and quiet. Everything is subdued and, like the calm before the storm, you know this won't last. Danzig softly sings,
“How does it feel when you're cold inside? Emptiness constant at your side, freezing every secret thought you hide. Motionless, frozen hell design.” The music explodes at this point, fulfilling the anticipation that had been built up. This change makes
Dead Inside a very powerful song, one that sticks with you after it's finished.
The title track and
Naked Witch deliver a one-two knockout punch. Both contain a lot of energy and keep the pace quicker. The guitar riffs in
Naked Witch are particularly catchy.
Angel Blake slows the pace down once again in a similar fashion as the intro to
Dead Inside. This sets a darker and more malevolent tone for the rest of the CD. Danzig sings,
“Angel Blake collects the devil's skin. The girls all pull their dresses up so Angel can begin. Piece by piece, they bring the beastly thing growing brackish parts for Angel's doll of sin.” Next up,
The Coldest Sun explodes right from the start and keeps the energy high until the last song of the album.
Without Light, I Am pulsates through to the end, slowing down and picking back up several times.
With
I Luciferi Danzig has dropped almost all of the industrial elements that moved in after
Danzig IV. The album has more in common with the signature stripped down sound of the original lineup minus the blues influences. Fans who were let down with
Blackacidevil and
Satan's Child should check this out. The extraneous elements that felt out of place on a Danzig CD are gone. These are some of the darkest and heaviest songs Danzig have released. The only downsides to this album lie in the production quality and the song
Wicked Pussycat.
Glenn Danzig – Vocals, guitar, keyboard
Joey Castillo – Drums
Howie Pyro – Bass guitar
Todd Youth - Guitar
