Freak369's Full Review: Black Aria by Glenn Danzig
Let’s face it – when this CD was released a lot of die-hard Danzig fans were disappointed. They expected to hear Glenn belting out his trademark howls with some screaming guitar work added for good measure. You’ll find none of that here – in fact – the only vocals you will find are the almost operatic coo’s of femme fatale Renee Rubach. Glenn could have never anticipated the outcome of this release – would the fans like it? More over – would they buy it?
Black Aria is a collection of nine piece of music. Each one is unique but they all carry a dark, sinister tone. Make no mistake about it – this release drew fans from several music genres – gothic, classical, rock and metal. A majority of the initial purchases were from fans of Danzig – however a few good reviews of the CD in Rolling Stone and Technophile gave this some much-deserved exposure. Considering this was released eight years ago – it remains Glenn’s finest work.
The Playlist
Overture Of The Rebel Angels
This was a fitting first song – it set the stage for rest of the pieces. Using a complete string section Glenn created a building tension – almost like impending danger. The use of synthesizers and over tracking is evident but it doesn’t detract from the song in the least.
Conspiracy Dirge
Again, the use of both a string section and over tracking with synthesizers can be easily detected. This song starts out somber – and manages to carry it through a full two minutes. There aren’t any surprises or crescendos in this song but it is amazing nonetheless.
Battle For Heaven
The title might give away the tone of this song – from the first seconds of it you can hear ominous drums beating away. Gradually the song builds into a frenzy – with the addition of tolling bells and the haunting black aria vocals. The speed of the song doesn’t increase that much but the gradual addition of all the sounds and instruments gives that effect.
Retreat And Descent
One of the darkest songs – with a deep bass and ‘rise and fall’ backing pieces Glenn creates a grand illusion – a song that can put fear into someone. While it isn’t all that original (many classical pieces mirror this song) – it does have an exceptional aria performance mid song.
Dirge Of Defeat
One of the slower, more mellow tracks. This is also one of the shorter songs coming in just under 1:40. Stunning vocals but the music drags it down a little. If a song had to be cut off of this CD then this should have been the song. While the vocals are beautiful it is missing something – but what that something is I can’t put my finger on.
And The Angels Weep
Stunning piano piece in the intro – the song starts slow and doesn’t gain much momentum. The focal point is the piano work and the complementing background bass.
Shifter
A simply sinister song – wolfs howling – drums beating out an evil beat. The song doesn’t change tempo at all – just the rhythmic and hypnotic beating of the drum. Simply frightening.
The Morrigu [Goddess Of War]
Synthesized vocals at the intro of this song are just the start of the treats and goodies Glenn created to honor The Goddess Of War Morrigu. The Morrigu is a faceless shape shifting Goddess that feels compassion and allows certain groups of people to flee her wrath. The song is absolutely beautiful – but if you listen close in the background you can hear screaming. Breathtaking.
Cwn Anwnn [Hounds Of The Hill]
The perfect end track – with muttled synthesizers and daunting guitar pieces – it literally throw you into the middle of an ongoing saga. This is one of the CD’s stronger and louder tracks – it is the perfect culmination to the other eight songs. Much like a cherry on top of a sundae – this is the icing on the cake. It takes all the fury and darkness and builds into in the final apex.
This CD is no longer available – it has been discontinued from production so if you have a copy of it – take care of it. If you are interested in purchasing a copy – be warned – there are so many burned copies being passed off as originals. A real copy will have a clear sticker on the bottom right or left and side of the jewel case – the sticker is clear and has “Glenn Danzig Black Aria” in gothic lettering. By the way – these stickers were also copied but one little thing was neglected – all the letters on the original were in small case. The fakes have Glenn’s name printed using capital letters.
I highly recommend this CD for anyone interested in off beat music. It may be too dark and heavy for some people but the fact that it is out of print makes it worth wanting for a collection. Fans of Glenn who have loved his writings and spoken word publications should look long and hard for this.
The Rumor Mill
There are rumors about this CD – that several people died during the production of it and it carries a curse. I have owned it for 8 years – wouldn’t it be nice if I could blame all of my troubles on a CD? Several European versions have different artwork but no extra tracks. If someone claims to have a CD with a bonus track it is more than likely a burned copy with one of the songs played in reverse.
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