Do you like Glenn Danzig? I don’t mean “Do you own a Misfits boxset, Samhain albums and a couple of solo albums and like to croon along with Motherrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr”. I mean do you really like the Evil Elvis. Like do you shout and shake your fist at the Danzig on the ceiling memes? Are you excited about his new Spaghetti western vampire film? Do you spend your days putting your two fists together in the strange double horn gesture?
If you do, never fear Black Totem from Finland have it covered. Death Rock or Black Bleeding Blues? OK. In reality this is a Danzig tribute act by another name. I can’t find any info regarding the band members online – they are a four piece from Turku Finland and the singer does a pretty damn accurate impression of Glenn.
The question is – with all of Danzig’s albums available physically or digitally at the tap of a beloved digit is there a need for Black Totem. Well put like that possibly not, however in a world where Greta Van Fleet can regurgitate Plant and Page for a fawning middle aged rock fans then why the fuck can’t these guys have their fun.
And fun it is! This album is quite a darkened riot.
All of Glenn’s incarnations are here – from the opening Begone Vampire with its rock n roll Samhain vibes though the slower brooding the Devil to the aptly named 1990’s which sounds like it is naming tracks from a back catalogue (they aren’t I checked). The backing female vocals are just the right level of cheesy.
Honestly who could not love a Misfits style rockabilly stomp called “Black Nekro Gloves”? Yeah baby plenty of woahs and Robo style pounding drums. The curdled screams and howls at the start of “Bloodstained Owl” are quite frankly a hoot. Poor fella sounds like he is suffering from appendicitis before he starts crooning.
“Ghoul of Crow Swamp” sounds like an episode of Scooby Doo and this could be the soundtrack to an adult one directed by Ed Wood. The single “Dead Meat” is a greasy punk affair that sounds like the kind of music I hear blasting out of booths at tattoo conventions every year. Backyard Corpse Blues would be a great track for me to strip to if I ever put together my all male “Titty Twister” revue tribute.
Cliché bingo is completed by “Welcome Lucifer” and “Warlock” at the bottom of this graven offering. This album is no guilty pleasure. It is the sonic equivalent of a straight to DVD movie – in fact think Asylum Pictures from the film world. Snakes on a Train? Megalod? Titanic II etc. Low budget. High camp. Great fun. Don’t take it too seriously and have a blast.
(6.5/10 Mason)
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