Danzig plays metal at its darkest
Metal Maestro Glenn Danzig is emerging from his dungeon to headline the Blackest of the Black tour. The Oct. 11 gig at the Tabernacle is just the third show of what's shaping up to be Danzig's first full U.S. tour in three years.
Kicking off the tour in October makes perfect sense as Danzig makes no bones about his affinity for the dark side. This dates back to his tenure with seminal monster-loving punk rockers the Misfits. But there's a lighter, celebratory side to him as the tour commemorates the 20th anniversary of the release of the first Danzig album.
With Danzig on the mike, the rest of the group consists of Tommy Victor on guitar, Steve Zing on bass and Johnny Kelly on drums. Danzig says audiences will be treated to an overview of the band's catalog — starting with the song "Skin Carver," then performing album highlights in sequence, beginning with tracks from the first Danzig album. And, according to his Web site, even an acoustic song will be thrown in for good measure.
Danzig shares the stage with four opening acts. Here's a quick look at what to expect:
Dimmu Borgir
The name of this Norwegian black metal band translates as "dark castle" in archaic Icelandic. It takes a melodic stab at metal and once recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. Fronted by vocalist Shagrath, the band brings the full package, complete with leather, studs and creepy, pasty white makeup. Its latest effort, "In Sorte Diaboli," was released last year, and the band promises another in the not-so-distant future.
Moonspell
Frontman Fernando Ribeiro helms this Portuguese black metal-gothic band, which snagged a 2006 MTV Europe Music Award for best Portuguese act. In Portugal, Moonspell's popularity rivals predecessors Metallica and Iron Maiden. The band's most recent disc, "Night Eternal," came out in May.
Winds of Plague
This six-piece deathcore band hails from Upland, Calif., and combines elements of symphonic metal. The music video for "The Impaler," the first single from its major label debut, was banned from MTV because of language and content. The clip finds the band growling at a strip club and jamming atop mounds of body parts.
Skeletonwitch
Based out of Athens, Ohio, this purveyor of black metal is also credited for reviving the thrash genre. Its trademark sound comes in part from the lightning-fast metal riffs of guitarist Nate Garnette and the guttural vocals and banshee-like sounds courtesy of brother Chance Garnette.
