Danny Elfman writes a solo album with 'venom' pouring out

When Danny Elfman started creating music during quarantine, what came out was a surprise even to him

NEW YORK -- When Danny Elfman started creating music during quarantine, what came out was a surprise even to him. “When I opened my mouth to sing more venom than I ever knew that I had in me came pouring out,” he said recently. “I didn’t really know what I had to work with other than a lot of frustration and anger. And I think that’s what needed to express itself.” The result is a sonic howl — part glam rock, part orchestral, part punk, with driving, industrial songs that are liable to disintegrate or tear off into a different direction. The title for the ambitious 18-track double album is perfect: “Big Mess.” It's his first solo collection in more than 30 years. “I was either writing really heavy or like really hyper energized, fast and kind of crazy,” Elfman said. “I found myself writing personally in a way that I haven’t before. And that was also surprising to me.”