Review: Danzig “Sings Elvis” [Cleopatra, Evilive]

Poor Elvis.

Had a piece of shit manager that gambled all his money, got into shitty movies, started doing drugs, got ridiculously fat, started wearing onesies, got fatter and then died constipated on a toilet (probably).

And then, this album came out.

Oh boy, where to start? Your first impression of Danzig is that he looks and sounds like an evil version of Elvis; so much that he got the mentioned moniker quite early in his carrier.

But the similarities does not stop here, both guys enjoyed popularity early in their solo carrier which after several years fame dwindled and weight gained.

Both had their comeback albums, in Danzig‘s case Circle of Snakes (2004) and Deth Red Sabaoth (2010) just to fuck up the bucket even more. First omen in Danzig’s case were the first covers album Skeletons; despite some good moments the album was plagued with the most horrid production, or lack thereof. Same thing with Black Laden Crown which was released two years later in 2017.  There were some awesome tracks like Pull the Sun and the title track, but again, the sound was so bad that kills the will to even give the album another chance.

So after these few hiccups, Danzig gives the tribute to one of his main influences, a circle is complete, and you would think the man would give a worthy salute to the guy that he has been associated.

Nope, not happening.

Danzig Sings Elvis continues the new tradition of half-baked ideas under a lo-fi production (or lack thereof) with Glenn’s tired, weak vocals put so upfront that you might duck for cover when you hear him on tracks like One Night. You thought that his vocals were too loud on the last album? Here you got a feeling that his gonna vocally headbut with you through the speakers.

Musically speaking, this is more of a bluesy ballad-like album, which ironically, is no stranger to Danzig’s music, on contrary he very much excels at it. Pretty much every ballad he wrote is gold, from Sistinas, Blood And Tears to another cover Crying In The Rain from The Everly Brothers. Hell, he even wrote for Johnny Cash and Roy Orbinson.

Theoretically this cover album should be a win-win situation. Unfortunately, that aint so. All 14 tracks feel utterly unfinished re-arrangements that barely left the first rehearsals, if there was any. All tracks barely drag the three minute mark and goes absolutely nowhere with Glenn’s worn and straight comical vocal delivers like on Fever or Pocket Full Of Rainbows.

Even the track You Were Always On My Mind which was circulating on YouTube for a few years he had managed to fuck up with the most fuzzy sounding solo that came out of nowhere and utterly kills the mood of the song. Guitars on the whole albums sound like there were recorded on fucking baby speakers from the 90s. You asked yourself where the hell did that blooming rich-sounding equipment from Deth Red Sabaoth ended up that he so much bragged about. That song with Loving Arms shows any kind of attempt of quality.

Danzig Sings Elvis is a passion project done wrong in every possible way and recorded some 15 years too late. But, like Glenn once said; when you cover a song, you make it your own.

That you most definitely did.

Release date: April 24, 2020

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