Danzig - Danzig (1988) {1989, Japan 1st Press}

Danzig is the debut album of the American heavy metal band Danzig, released in August, 1988. The album was the first release on producer Rick Rubin's new label Def American Recordings. Def American's successor, American Recordings reissued the album in the United States and United Kingdom in 1998. It remains the band's best-selling album having been certified Gold in the U.S. in 1994, and has since been certified Platinum. Danzig promoted the album with a successful world tour in 1988–1989.

Danzig debuts with a record of simple, pounding, bluesy metal featuring lead singer Glenn Danzig's trademark Elvis-meets-Jim Morrison bellow and outlandishly dark, evil lyrics. There isn't a great deal of musical variety or complexity here, but the band powers its way through such signature tunes as "Twist of Cain," "Am I Demon," and the (future) hit "Mother" with a primal energy. Plus, Danzig's tongue-in-cheek posturing as the ultimate unholier-than-thou heavy metal frontman gives the record a definite appeal, even if one is not inclined to view his theatrics as dangerous or threatening.