The
Misfits are one of those punk bands that even the most militant of metal fans will admit to liking. Whether it was the ghoulish image, the lyrics based primarily on horror films or maybe just the
Metallica connection, they seem to strike a chord with those of both the Mohawk and long hair persuasions.
The
Misfits early career was a turbulent one with the original line up containing two strong personalities in front man Glenn
Danzig and bass player Jerry Only. Forming in 1977 the band were together 7 years before dissolving messily in 1983.
Danzig went on to have success in both Samhain and the more popular
Danzig while Jerry Only fought long and hard for the
Misfits name and eventually won the right to use it in 1995.
Once the band name was his once more Jerry set about finding members, he pieced the bands severed corpse back together with the aid of his brother Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein on guitar, Dr. Chud on drums and brand new singer Michael Graves. This version of the band released
American Psycho in 1996 to a fairly warm reception. It's a slightly mixed bag which has quite a few highs (notably single
Dig Up Her Bones) but also several weaker tracks.
American Psycho hinted at a much more Metal approach than the
Danzig era and their next release 1999's
Famous Monsters furthered this movement with spectacular results. My first encounter with the
Misfits was in this era when a Kerrang punk special CD contained the track
Fiend Club.
Upon hearing this song I was hooked, it's a highly melodic track which is perfectly suited to Michael Graves crooning vocals and its marching beat matched the idea that if you were into this band then you were accepted into a gang.
"We are the Fiend Club, not you!" was the battle cry and I couldn't help but join in with the mob.
Upon hearing the album I knew I had made the right decision to sign up as a member. Right after the slow gloomy intro of
Kong At The Gates subsides in a storm of feedback to be replaced with the upbeat, hook laden
The Forbidden Zone the album holds you in its decaying arms and just doesn't let go.
The entire record is just perfectly poised between thrashing metal and bouncing punk with a few other styles thrown in along the way. The metalised guitar tone lends an extra layer of weight to songs which could be otherwise considered straight up punk. And the musicianship, while nothing spectacular, works amazingly well given the context of the songs. The chugging guitars of Doyle combine wonderfully with the straight ahead Only bass lines.
Many people pour scorn on the vocals of new boy Graves (in the main simply because he wasn't
Danzig) but I'll be amazed if these people have ever sat down and listened to the album as the man clearly has an impressive set of pipes. Ok so his 50's inspired croon is following in the footsteps of
Danzig but in my opinion Graves lends the band's music a more theatrical, over the top air compared to Glenn's lurching, street zombie menace.
This is perfectly shown in the albums single
Scream! and the track which immediately follows it
Saturday Night.
Scream! starts off slow with a dragging guitar line backed by Graves melodramatic
"Who-oh" vocals before bursting into life with a vengeance. The video for the song was directed by master horror auteur George A. Romero and features the band as zombies (what else) terrorising a hospital. This perfectly meshes with the lyrics of the song as Graves bellows
"I can't wait to hear you scream". If
Scream! shows off the bands punk side then the masterful 50's style rocker
Saturday Night shows the band up in a entirely different light. Its laid back riff lulls the listener into a false sense of security before being hit with what is surely one of the greatest opening lines ever: "
There's 52 was to murder anyone, 1 and 2 are the same and they both work as well" That's right folks, in the
Misfits world nothing is wholesome and the upbeat 50's style is subverted with a tale of a stalker/serial killer who, despite informing his victim that
"I know when your home" and
"I'm watching, watching you die" still reveals that in true Rock 'n' Roll style
"The backseat of the drive-in is so lonely without you" and
"I was crying on Saturday night" Its without a doubt one of my favourite songs of all time and gives me goosebumps every single time I hear it. And for those who doubted Graves can sing, just listen to the notes he hits and the emotion in his voice as he yells the final
"Crying on Saturday night". Picking up directly after
Saturday Night,
Pumpkin Head flays you into submission, it's full throttle riffing matching the speed you would expect from a thrash band and
Scarecrow Man barely pauses for breath with its off kilter tempo.
Descending Angel on the other hand slows things slightly down for a hauntingly delivered sermon on those who God cast out to
"Guard the gates of hell, just one more night" Yet again Graves delivers a wicked vocal performance which I have no doubt will chill you to the bone.
Last song proper (before Kong is summoned once more in the outro) Helena is one of the greatest songs the band has ever written. It's based on the film Boxing Helena and comes on like a more advanced version of the
Danzig era
Mommy, Can I Go Out And Kill Tonight? Its first section contains a almost radio friendly upbeat riff, all be it coupled with rather disturbing lyrics like
"If I cut off your arms and cut off your legs, would you still love me anyway?" This section is shattered with a neck breaking riff and crushing drums when the songs protagonist finally snaps and carries out the violent, sadistic threats he delivered earlier. This schizophrenic outburst slows back down to return to the gentler riff from the first passage. It's this feeling of climax that finishes the album off on a high note as Graves, exhausted, screams
"Helenaaaaa" as the band wind the song up..
I don't think I can stress enough how much I genuinely love this record. In the ten plus years since it was release I have listened to it a countless number of times and not once have I ever tired of it.
One of the only major disappointments about the album is that it was the last time that Graves ever fronted the
Misfits as Jerry Only eventually disbanded the group yet again.
He has since reformed as a three piece and has made the gross error of taking over lead vocals himself. As those who have heard The
Misfits single post- Famous Monsters studio album Project 1950 (a short, pretty needless 50's covers record) will attest, his voice doesn't even begin to compare with the two men that have preceded him.
Written by
Stuart Monday, March 1, 2010
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