Apparently the guys in Coliseum and Doomriders hold the first Danzig record in very high regard. (As does this reviewer. As should you.) Back in 2005, Coliseum vocalist/guitarist Ryan Patterson put out a 12†Coliseum/Doomriders split on his own Auxiliary label. It consisted of a Danzig cover by each band and a couple of originals. Now as part of their 20th anniversary commemoration, Magic Bullet Records has repressed the Danzig songs as the Not of this World 7â€. (“Not of this World†is actually another song from that same Danzig album.) Both bands treat the source material with a great deal of reverence, even as their versions venture into heavier territory than the dark, bluesy metal of the originals.
Coliseum takes on “Am I Demonâ€. Musically it’s mostly true to the original, but the beefed up bass line definitely gives it some extra power. (No offense intended toward Eerie Von, who I love.) Doomriders cover “Possession†in a similar manner. The biggest difference on both songs is the harsher vocals. (I still found myself singing along in Glenn Danzig’s evil Elvis croon.) Both bands also add a sample to contribute to the overall creepiness factor. Both songs are rock solid interpretations of the influential 1988 originals. The very nice art is also a reinterpretation of the classic Danzig album cover. This will be a real treat for fans of Coliseum or Doomriders. The Danzig faithful, myself included, are also definitely going to need a copy of Not of this World.Â