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Putting out a collection of rare songs and b-sides is a practice that has been going on for years, and is often viewed as questionable behavior from a band that has given up or is trying to cash in.  These very preconceptions are the reason why Danzig has blown me away with this two CD compilation.  The Lost Tracks of Danzig are previously unreleased gems spanning Danzig's career from his early days with satan-fueled Samhain all the way through his latest, and often disappointing, newer material.  Danzig has never been able to recapture the perfect blend of sinister, groovy rock and heavy metal found on his earliest efforts.  It was with a skeptical eye, afraid of being let down, that I spun this album.  It did not disappoint.  Any fans of Glenn Danzig's solo career should check this compilation out immediately, as they will undoubtedly be please by what they hear.

The inherent value of this compilation lies in the material from Danzig's early days.  These tracks singlehandedly trump anything Danzig has released in recent years.  All it takes is a listen to Pain is Like an Animal, When Death Had No Name ('92), or The Mandrake's Cry and you will be transported back to the days when Danzig played quality rock that was so evil you were afraid your parents would hear it.

Aside from the quality gems, it isn't a perfect compilation.  There are great songs from every era of Danzig's career here, but it is obvious why some of these tracks were left off of any true album.  Some of them feel incomplete, or unsuited for Danzig himself.  You get the feeling that, much like a writer, Danzig often had a good little idea that didn't develop into anything fantastic, yet it managed to stretch into a whole song.  Despite its flaws, this is one classy fan package.  If you were ever into the Misfits, Samhain, or the man Danzig himself, you owe it to yourself to check this out.