Danzig might be a polarizing figure musically, but the master of the donkey impersonation knows a thing or two about musicians. Enter Steve Zing, Samhain sticksman and current Danzig bassist alongside Dan Tracey of Marra’s Drug. This multi-instrumentalist duo are Blak29, a filthy goth-rock and roll duo who are set to unleash their second album ‘The Waiting’. Featuring guest appearances from long time collaborators in the Danzig musical family: Tommy Victor and Johnny Kelly, alongside Jyrki69 of horror punk/goth titans the 69 eyes, ‘The Waiting’ takes a bit of everything to create something loaded with rock, attitude and energy. So let’s get to it!
“Blackout” opens the release and it’s got a real catchy rhythmic hook to it. The big drums with muted guitar scrapes give a nice feel of the tempo before the big chords swing in with subtle piano accenting swing in for the main melodic carrying. This structure repeats through the track; stomp and scratch verses with rocking choruses, and when you add in the sleazy feel vocal shouts with their punk edges, it’s just a straight up ear worm which invades and takes over. “Destroyer” is a fun as hell track and it acts as the leading single of the album. Featuring the earlier mentioned guest musicians, it’s a horror-punkesque take on classic Kinks track ‘All the day (and all of the night)’. Instantly recognisable, the multi-vocal work on this track is phenomenal. Jyrki’s rumbling low tones combined with a cutting sneer and wild punk shouts gives a great layered gang shout whilst Johnny Kelly’s tight drums lock it all down and the sharp guitar work of Tommy Victor cuts deep. It’s a silly and fun track which has a unique twist to it.
“Waiting for the sun to go down” brings in a touch of the atmospheric rock vibes you’d associate with the likes of The Cult and Killing Joke. A hazy droning feel with sharp wah-laden guitars and pounding drums provides the backbone of the track whilst Zing’s vocals have a sharp edge to the raw attitude they ooze. Big, spacey choruses allow the vocals to really reach out whilst the punchy guitars could easily pass for something from the Billy Duffy playbook. The steady pace and simple melodic work is on point and it’s yet another catchy number to loop around your head. “Go Go Little One” shatters the gloomy feel with a massive sounding, energetic, balls to the wall rock and roller. Fast paced, bouncy feel and hook-laden, it’s a bright sounding track loaded with energy and fun. Sounding like a weird cross between Volbeat and a Misfits inspired Cult, it just nails the balance between horror punk and rock and is guaranteed to be stuck in your head once you hear it.
“End Of Days” brings back the darker feel. The slow building intro with lingering sustain and rumbling bass is accompanied by hard hitting slow drums. It has a sinister edge to it which you could mistake for an experimental Prong track in terms of the vocals and the guitar fills but this feeling only persists for one track as the horror punk edge quickly comes back. “Of Love Of Hate Of Pain” has that Misfits air about it again with the fast paced chord attack and punky attitude in the tempo and vocal delivery. Again, it’s another catchy track which will take root in your head and refuse to shift. Gang vocal choruses, bouncy melodic riffs and pounding drums, it’s just more fun and attitude!
“Bleeding Love” is a moody number which has a real thundering low end rumble to its groove. With melodic lines to accent it and accompany the sneering vocals, it’s got a hypnotic hook and plenty of bite in its delivery. As with all the tracks on the release so far, it’s a great listen and a catchy and fun number. “The Waiting (A Token Of Your Death)” brings a bit more of the gothic flair to the album’s sound. Bass heavy with a haunting guitar accompaniment in the initial stretch, it builds the tension well and the distant sounding vocals help build it all up for when the sledgehammer hit chorus comes in. A wall of distortion and a rumbling bass acts as the signal for things to cut loose and the big vocals help cap it. Choir like chants add some atmosphere and you get the feel that this could be a Sisters Of Mercy sounding punk minded number.
The final two tracks, “Don’t Mind The Pain” and “I am Screaming (But Nobody Hears)” continue the pattern of lively then dialled back. With “Don’t Mind The Pain” we get the rock/punk attack; faster paced, energetic vocals and a heavy chord based attack whilst the closing number “I am screaming…” brings back the vibes from ‘The Waiting’ with its distant vocals and haunting atmosphere, really hammering the gothic flair to finish the album on a spooky note with its hazy delivery. For those who are lucky, there is a bonus track which features Jyrki69 again called “Long Cool Woman” (a cover of The Hollies song) and it’s exclusive to the CD release. With vocal back and forth, it’s a catchy punk edged rock number, loaded with catchy riffs and licks and featuring some great storytelling through the vocal delivery. It’s got a real infectious hook and it captures the 70s rock style perfectly. A fun end to a real fun release!
In all, Blak29 have produced a hell of an album here. It’s got plenty of catchy tracks with some serious hooks all over them which will guarantee they’ll be stuck in your head and you’ll be wanting to revisit this time and time again. Whether it’s the dark and gloomy goth vibes or the high energy punk or raw rock and roll attitude, there’s something for everyone here.
(8/10 Fraggle)
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