Misfits and Danzig represent two distinct eras in Glenn Danzig’s musical career. While Misfits are known for their punk sound with horror themes, Danzig leans toward a heavier, more complex, and mainstream-oriented style with lyrics exploring darker, supernatural subjects. Still, there have been many people who disliked both bands for various reasons, like their sound, themes, and image.
In a 2007 interview with Spin, the frontman initially expressed irritation towards bands that adopt the imagery and style associated with Misfits and Danzig but pretend to be unfamiliar with his work. Then, when asked why he thinks they have so many haters, Danzig replied by saying:
“I don’t know, jealousy? Maybe they just don’t like what I’m saying. There’s been a connotation since loud music has made a big comeback, that this anti-p.c. attitude is always gonna be attractive to people who hate the status quo, but that’s one of the things I always hated about [fundamentalist punk zine] Maximum Rocknroll—’Wear this uniform. Say this. Hate Ronald Reagan.'”
Challenging Punk Stereotypes
Explaining why his focus is on sociology rather than politics, the singer continued:
“Well, no. I’m not gonna look like you. And the Misfits didn’t look like any of those bands. And I wasn’t writing about their kind of sh*t. I don’t care about politics; I care about sociology. You’re retarded if you think you’re gonna be able to change sh*t.”
Danzig’s Take On The Punk Explosion
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2021, Glenn revealed that Misfits’ song ‘Last Caress’ intentionally provoked and offended people with its attitude. He then shared his thoughts on the spirit of punk rock from the late 1970s and why Misfits couldn’t happen in today’s environment:
“I don’t think people will ever see anything like it again. There won’t be any new bands coming out like that. Now, they will immediately get canceled. People don’t understand because everything’s so cancel-culture, woke bullsh*t nowadays, but you could never have the punk explosion nowadays because of cancel culture and woke bullsh*t. You could never have it. It would never have happened.”
Danzig has also stirred controversy in the music world with its satanic image and lyrics. However, the band’s original bassist Eerie Von wanted to clarify in a 1995 chat with the Virginian-Plot that Glenn Danzig and his heavy metal band were not satanic. According to him, the lyrics were not satanic; Glenn sometimes took on an evil persona in his songs, but it’s all about creating a character.
