Danzig - 777: I Luciferi [Splatter]

Danzig's 777: I Luciferi closes the circle on Glenn Danzig's run of numbered records, a 2002 slab of dark, heavy rock pressed on splatter vinyl.

The seventh studio album under the Danzig name, it arrived after years of shifting lineups and experiments with industrial textures. Glenn Danzig produced the record himself, handling vocals, guitar and keyboards, and assembled a new band featuring guitarist Todd Youth, bassist Howie Pyro and drummer Joey Castillo, who would later join Queens of the Stone Age. It was conceived as the last of seven numbered albums, each built around its own concept.

After the short opener Unendlich sets an ominous scene, Black Mass hits with a grinding riff and Danzig's baritone howl front and centre. Wicked Pussycat, the album's single, swaggers with sleazy menace, and the title track, I Luciferi, leans into the occult imagery that has always haunted his world.

The guitars are thick and heavy, the drums pound with purpose, and Danzig's voice swings between a brooding, Elvis-like croon and a full-throated roar. It is a more direct record than the experiments that came just before it.

For collectors chasing the full numbered run, this splatter pressing is a striking way to fill a gap on the shelf.