Danzig Sings Elvis is a covers album we didn’t needLuca Cimarustion May 8, 2020 at 7:29 pm

For Glenn Danzig, the past 15 years have been especially weird. Starting with the infamous 2004 backstage TKO punch delivered by North Side Kings singer Danny Marianino, the Misfits mastermind–in his heyday one of the most enigmatic and distinctive vocalists in punk history–has been on a downward spiral of unintentional self-parody and apparent madness. Every bit of news about Danzig to emerge since then has been strange and hilarious: the onstage meltdowns, the viral shopping-for-cat-litter photo, the bizarre assortment of Looney Tunes collectibles and other pop-culture memorabilia left behind for whoever purchased his former Los Angeles home in 2018. And this spring we can finally bear witness to Danzig’s peak “OK boomer” moment: his brand-new collection of limp, half-hearted Elvis Presley covers, Sings Elvis. Did we need this? Did we want this? Absolutely not. But here we are. On paper, the idea makes sense. Part of what made Danzig so great–in the Misfits, in Samhain, and in his eponymous metal band–was his Presley-flavored croon. But Danzig no longer has those vocal chops. Even worse, he also lacks the energy he once possessed; he seems like he’s about to fall asleep on every single one of these 14 tracks. The strangest part of the whole affair might be the production choices. Danzig performs all the instruments himself, and they sound tiny and tired–they’re incredibly low in the mix, while his voice dominates everything. This is an incredibly confusing listening experience. I don’t think Danzig could’ve pulled off a set of Elvis covers in his late-70s prime, and he definitely can’t now. v

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