Danzig

USA, 1987–now

Glenn Danzig's band after the Misfits and Samhain, and the one where the voice came forward. Rick Rubin produced the 1988 debut as blues-based heavy rock rather than punk, and 'Mother' — written against the PMRC's campaign to police what children could hear — became a hit five years late when MTV picked up the live video.

MusicRoots documents 5 artists who influenced Danzig and 0 artists Danzig influenced in turn. Every connection cites a published source.

Who influenced Danzig?

• Elvis Presley — The reason he does this at all. Danzig: 'I was watching TV once and Jailhouse Rock comes on... at the end I thought, this is what I want to do.' He made an album of Elvis songs in 2020.
• Black Sabbath — The weight. Samhain was already going that way and the Danzig records finished the job — Rubin produced the debut as blues-based heavy rock rather than punk.
• The Doors — Where the baritone comes from, and the pose with it — his voice is routinely compared to Morrison's.
• Ramones — The Misfits end of him: two minutes, three chords, and a horror film for a lyric.
• Blue Cheer — The loudest thing available in 1968, and the one that connects the Sabbath weight to American garage rock rather than English blues.