** Danzig

5BLACKACIDEVIL

(Hollywood)

This Halloween, Glenn Danzig is coming to the party dressed as Trent Reznor. He seems to have developed that strain of millennial paranoia popular in post-metal circles right now that says electronic music is the future and if you don't learn to use the technology, the technology will be used against you. 5 is an ostensible attempt to trade in the grating postpunk guitar hemorrhages and swirling gothic/tribal aura of Danzig's interim band Samhain for a brave new machine-age sonic world. But the album continually falls prey to industro-pop clichés that'll be familiar to sampler-weaned ears. A sweeping, syncopated techno beat and Filter-ish vocal inflections appear on the title track; there's an intro with more than a passing resemblance to Nine Inch Nails' "Closer" on "Sacrifice"; an S&M beat and moaning-chick sample suggest a KMFDM/Thrill Kill Kult fetish on "Serpentina."

There are some bright spots. Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell sits in on "Come to Silver," the other song Danzig wrote for Johnny Cash (further proof that he writes some of his best songs for other people). And as ridiculous a concept as "Disco Danzig" sounds, "Power of Darkness" makes good on it, in a masquerade-ball novelty-item kinda way.

-- Carly Carioli