Ashes
Danzig · Danzig 5 - Blackacidevil [1996]
Slowly down inside
I will keep you warm this darkness
As the ashes die
I will call your soul in winter
I will keep you mine
I will call your soul and winter
As the ashes die
I will keep you broke and splintered
I will keep you tight
I will keep you cold and dark
Till the end of time
And the soul is slowly seeping
As the years go by
Will you keep me cold and darkened
Till the end of time
I will keep you safe from summer
I will be entwined
I will keep you cold and darkened
Till the end of time
I will kiss your burning embers
I will watch them die
I will watch your soul escaping
As the ashes fly
About Ashes
"Ashes" stands as a defining track on Danzig's 1996 album *Blackacidevil*, marking a pivotal shift in the artist's sonic landscape. Released during the height of the gothic metal movement, the song blends Danzig's signature baritone vocals with a darker, more industrial atmosphere than his earlier work. The recording features a heavy, distorted guitar tone and a brooding rhythm section that encapsulates the era's fascination with occult imagery and post-punk revivalism. Musically, the track serves as a stark contrast to the melodic heaviness of *Lucifuge*, introducing a more abrasive and chaotic energy that would influence subsequent generations of extreme metal. Its placement on *Blackacidevil* highlights Danzig's willingness to experiment with sound, moving away from pure black metal tropes toward a unique fusion of punk aggression and gothic melancholy. The song remains a staple of his discography, often cited as a key example of the genre's evolution in the mid-1990s.