''Black Aria'' is an
instrumental
An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to inst ...
album composed by
Glenn Danzig, the vocalist/songwriter for
Danzig and previously of
Samhain
Samhain ( , , , ; gv, Sauin ) is a Gaelic festival on 1 NovemberÓ hÓgáin, Dáithí. ''Myth Legend and Romance: An Encyclopaedia of the Irish Folk Tradition''. Prentice Hall Press, 1991. p. 402. Quote: "The basic Irish division of the year ...
and the
Misfits
Misfits or The Misfits may refer to:
Film and television
* ''The Misfits'' (1961 film), a film starring Clark Gable, Marilyn Monroe, and Montgomery Clift
* ''The Misfits'' (2011 film), a Mexican film
* ''The Misfits'' (2021 film), an American ...
. It was released in 1992, and is Danzig's first album as a solo artist. The album debuted at number 1 on the American ''
Billboard'' classical chart.
The original release was on Glenn Danzig's own label, Plan 9 Records, and like his Misfits and Samhain releases, was distributed by Caroline Records. The album was reissued in 2000 on E-Magine Records, and
a sequel followed on Evilive Records in 2006.
Music and recording
The album is largely modern instrumental
classical music, and is very dark, with
gothic metal tendencies.
Although it was not released until 1992, some of the material on the album was recorded as early as 1987. Select tracks from the album had served as intro music to early Danzig shows, and excerpts of some songs were included on Danzig's first two compilation home videos released by
Def American Recordings
American Recordings (formerly Def American Recordings) is an American record label headed by producer Rick Rubin. The label has featured artists such as Slayer, the Black Crowes, ZZ Top, Danzig (band), Danzig, Trouble (band), Trouble, Tom Petty ...
in 1989 and 1991.
The first six song titles reference a soundtrack to John Milton's epic poem ''
Paradise Lost'',
which describes
Lucifer
Lucifer is one of various figures in folklore associated with the planet Venus. The entity's name was subsequently absorbed into Christianity as a name for the devil. Modern scholarship generally translates the term in the relevant Bible passa ...
's rebellion from the
Christian God, and his subsequent expulsion from
Heaven with the angels who joined him. The final three tracks, written by Danzig while he was still in Samhain, reference
Celtic mythology.
"The Morrigu" relates to
The Morrígan
The Morrígan or Mórrígan, also known as Morrígu, is a figure from Irish mythology. The name is Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, and it has been translated as "great queen" or "phantom queen".
The Morrígan is mainly associated with war and ...
, a mythical phantom queen. "Cwn Annwn" refers to the
spectral hounds of the same name.
All tracks were written by Glenn Danzig, who also performed all instruments.
Engineering was provided by
Nick Didia, Martin Schmelze, and Bob Alecca. Female voices were provided by Janna Brown and Reneé Rubach.
Artwork and packaging
The photograph of Glenn Danzig in the liner notes was taken by
Anton Corbijn. The album's front cover is by renowned comic book and graphic artist
Michael William Kaluta
Michael William Kaluta, sometimes credited as Mike Kaluta or Michael Wm. Kaluta (born August 25, 1947), is an American comics artist and writer best known for his acclaimed 1970s adaptation of the pulp magazine hero ''The Shadow'' with writer Den ...
, who also drew the interior illustrations for
Danzig's fourth album.
As the musical content of ''Black Aria'' is a diversion from the music of the band Danzig, the album has a written disclaimer to warn buyers that it is not a rock record.
Track listing
#"Overture of the Rebel Angels" – 2:42
#"Conspiracy Dirge" – 1:59
#"Battle for Heaven" – 3:54
#"Retreat and Descent" – 3:53
#"Dirge of Defeat" – 1:48
#"And the Angels Weep" – 1:18
#"Shifter" – 1:33
#"The Morrigu" – 4:25
#"Cwn Anwnn" – 2:13
All songs written by Glenn Danzig.
Credits
*
Glenn Danzig – all instruments
* Janna Brown – female vocals
* Reneé Rubach – female vocals
Production
* Nick Didia – engineering (tracks 1–7)
* Martin Schmelze – engineering (tracks 1–7)
* Bob Alecca – engineering (tracks 8–9)
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1992 debut albums
Albums produced by Glenn Danzig
Instrumental albums
Plan 9 Records albums