Artist: Danzig Release: Danzig III: How The Gods Kill Discogs: 5888054 Released: 1992 Label: Def American Recordings / American Recordings Catalog#: 9 26914-2 / 731458695523 Format: CD, Album, Reissue, Repress Country: Europe Style: Rock, Blues Rock, Heavy Metal Tracklisting: 01. Godless (6:51) 02. Anything (4:49) 03. Bodies (4:26) 04. How The Gods Kill (5:57) 05. Dirty Black Summer (5:15) 06. Left Hand Black (4:30) 07. Heart Of The Devil (4:40) 08. Sistinas (4:26) 09. Do You Wear The Mark (4:47) 10. When The Dying Calls (3:32) Credits: Bass: Eerie Von Design: Dirk Walter Drums: Chuck Biscuits Engineer [Assistant]: Craig Brock Engineer [Assistant]: David Harrelson Engineer [Assistant]: Jim Labinski Engineer [Assistant]: Randy Wine Executive-Producer: Rick Rubin Guitar: John Christ Illustration: HR Giger Management: Direct Management Group Mastered By: Howie Weinberg Mixed By: Jason Corsaro Photography By: Peter Darley Miller Producer, Written-By: Glenn Danzig Recorded By: Nick Didia Vocals, Keyboards: Glenn Danzig Notes: Recorded at Record Plant and Hollywood Sound Recorders, Hollywood, CA Mixed at A.M Studios, Hollywood, CA Mastered at Masterdisk, New York, NY Front cover illustration © H.R. Giger 1992 "The Master and Margarita." Work #107, 1976. ___ Released in jewel case incliding 6-panel 12-page fold out poster cover. An Angel On The Left, A Devil On The Right By purerockfury on June 10, 2005 I'll admit it time and time again. I am very biased when it comes to Glenn Danzig and my scope of what is and is not good when concerning his music widens considerably compared to 99% of the music available today. Most of this has to do with simple fact that as wide as that scope may be, there is often no need for it. Glenn Danzig has been at the very peak of my list of musical influences since I was a fledgling 12-year old metal fan almost 20 years ago. It's sometimes hard to believe that Danzig's music has been with me for that long and it's harder to imagine that his music dates back to my own infancy. That's quite a lot of music from the man. What's my point? Since his first appearance in the world of music, Glenn Danzig has been in the midst of countless recordings from the early Misfits EP's to the short-lived Samhain up until the present, many of those recordings the thing of legend. Spanning his entire near-30 year career writing music, one album stands alone as his masterpiece. That album is "III: How The Gods Kill". No other recording captures the essence, mood and diversity of Glenn Danzig's music quite the same way. If asked, I would proclaim "How The Gods Kill" every but as influential and important an album as Led Zeppelin IV, Slayer "Reign In Blood" and the first Black Sabbath albums. This is not overshadow the greatness of the prior albums or IV that followed. It's merely a matter of how everything just fit together so perfectly all at the right time as this album was being created. "How The Gods Kill" captures every human emotion so precisely and musically, the album has a multi-faceted feel where no song seems out of place. From the rocking bluesiness of "Godless" to the sheer heaviness of the title track to the haunting beauty of "Sistanis", the flow is constant and determined, never skipping a beat. It's never too late to experience how masterful and superb "How The Gods Kill" is, even by today's standards. There is so much greatness to be found in these 10 songs that can have a sweeping appeal to many generations of music fans, heavy metal or otherwise. You owe it to yourself to at least hear what this gem has to offer. Simone Appolloni September 29, 2016 The How the Gods Kill cover is fine, but fortunately it's also the music. From the schizophrenic opener "Godless", things start well, and from that to "Left Hand Black" there isn't a weak point. Unfortunately then comes the cliché-ridden "Heart of the Devil", and only "Sistinas" can be represented well together to the others, and the album ends with a pretty uninspired note with the mediocre "When the Dying Calls". Neither the previous "Do You Wear Mark" isn't terribly better, being an underdeveloped thrasher unlike others undeniably superior to this. Considering the stellar other tracks (special mention deserve the title track and "Dirty Black Summer"), it's not an ignorable factor. In fact, How the Gods Kill could have been the American Definitely Maybe, if Danzig had written a more consistent set of songs. Their Blues-based approach to Heavy Metal remains pretty intact, moving unlikely to Traditional Pop for "Sistinas". Their lyrics remain misogynistic, powerful and simple as usual ("I got bodies on the left / I got bodies on the right / I got bodies up and down / All across town", "No summer in the winter time / Will keep you warm / Like a funeral pyre / And nothing like an august night / Drenched in your loving / I got a dirty black summer", "I can make a girl / So eager to please / I can make a young girl / Lay down for me"), Glenn Danzig's powerfully undisciplined bluesy shouts (one has to wonder if after "Godless" ended his vocals chords were in flames or not), and the quieter moments on the title track reach the thin line between Blues and Gothic, making it one of the crowded highlights of the album. If only it was so, it would have been an honor to give it 5 stars. As it is, How the Gods Kill is a missed opportunity. A really missed one. Less consistent than Lucifuge but awfully promising, How the Gods Kill kept the band alive with their reputation until Glenn Danzig decided to switch its role. We will always miss the old Danzig. Highlights:"Godless", "Anything", "How the Gods Kill", "Dirty Black Summer", "Left Hand Black".