Friday, October 26, 2007

Like a tortured soul crooner trapped in a rock dude's body, Glenn Danzig still reigns as heavy metal's ultimate diva. He's spent three decades bellowing for the Misfits, Samhain and his 20-year-old eponymous outfit Danzig, that anguished howl -- and combative temperament -- giving his rudimentary rock tunes a bizarre and compelling depth.

So what could be better than catching a killer set by this man?

Watching that killer set climax with Complete. Danzig. Meltdown.

CDM occurred about halfway through his performance at Rams Head Live in Baltimore on Tuesday night, when an unfortunate misstep sent the 52-year-old toppling off the stage. Things were going great before the wipeout -- the singer's incredibly agile stage moves evoking a Tae Bo routine with copious headbanging. He held the microphone the way a serial killer holds a meat cleaver during "Do You Wear the Mark," a dirgey cut from the 1992 disc "Danzig III: How the Gods Kill."

It was during that album's smoky title track that Danzig had his treacherous slip. He immediately bounced back up as if it never happened, but two songs later CDM kicked in. Embarrassed, or perhaps just in pain, Danzig began sulking through the songs, throwing icy glares at his band mates, reaming out the stagehands. He stormed offstage three times.

After the third huffy exit, it became clear that he wouldn't be returning to the stage with fellow Misfits alum Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (whose new band, Gorgeous Frankenstein, made its live debut earlier in the evening). Disappointed fans hoping for some Misfits tunes launched into an unprintable chant.

But was anyone more peeved than Danzig himself? His frustration took over during the set-closing "Mother" as he pounded the head of the microphone against his chest -- in time with the pummeling drumbeat. Hats off to a heavy-metal soul man who can still throw a tantrum in perfect rhythm.

-- Chris Richards