All hail the return of the dark one! This, the eight Danzig studio album and the first without the now associated name and number combination is not the only change to the Danzig franchise on offer with this release; Circle of Snakes marks yet another line up change, this time Tommy Victor of Prong fame, is brought into the fold.

It is fair to say since the release of Danzig I, II and III, the cross Danzig has had to bare is how to follow these three albums, which have become modern classics. Danzig do not produce bad albums, Blackaciddevil aside, the reality is however neither have they been able to sustain the heights of the afore mentioned albums. This being said, the first thing you notice about Circle of Snakes is the production. A fuller and more robust sound, which has been so sadly lacking on the previous offering 777.  The sound, if you can look past the over prominent snare drum, is meaty and reminiscent of the earlier Rick Rubin produced albums.  Tommy Victor, while no John Christ, brings a crunch and depth to proceedings that many of us die hards have been baying for for far to long.

It is true to say Circle of Snakes, at first listen leaves you slightly under whelmed. This is in part as a result of the expectations Danzig fans have for all releases by the 'dark one', but unlike many other albums over recent years Circle of Snakes, is a grower as opposed to a thrower.  It is worth baring with this album as once under your skin such songs as "1000 Devils Reign" and the title track, "Circle of Snakes", have a groove and the deathly vibe of the earlier Def American years. It is easy to see tracks such as "When we were dead" fitting into the live set with an ease and assurance of an old favorite.

A classic, Circle of Snakes is not. What it is however, is a return to what made Danzig such an edgy powerful unit in the late eighties and early nineties. Now the experimentation of early albums appears to be out of Glenn's system, a return to the formula that made the band the force they were appears now to be the order of the day. One can only hope, dare dream, that with such small acorns, great dark oak trees can once again grow.