There are two kinds of people inhabiting this scummy little planet. There are those who are aware of the Misfits’ untouchable legacy. There are also the types of people who believe the Misfits to be a clothing brand, or a TV show about a group of libidinous youth offenders. If you fall into the former category, then feel free to read this review; hell, put the kettle on, you could even grab a cheeky biscuit or two while you’re at it. However, if you’re one of those poor, unfortunate souls who fall into the latter category, then you have to stop reading this review. Go listen to the ‘Walk Among Us’ and ‘Earth A.D/Wolfs Blood’ albums. Then come back and keep reading.
So hopefully you’re up to speed now (And if you didn’t listen to those albums, what are you actually doing with your life?) The first incarnation of the Misfits was an unstoppable, truly monstrous musical debacle. Fronted by the hulking man-beast Glenn Danzig, there seemed to be no way of de-railing the Misfits machine. Except for when Danzig left and the band split up. Oh. Since then, the band has re-invented itself twice over; they returned once with the brash, youthful snarl of Michale Graves, dropping their original punk sound for a more heavy metal influenced racket. He quit after just two albums, with original guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (probably not his real name…) following quickly in his footsteps. This unfortunate turn of events left Jerry Only as the only original member, doubling up his bass duties with obligations to the microphone. Some felt sorry for Jerry. Some felt annoyed at Jerry. However, Jerry is still making an awful lot of money and success off the back of the Misfits; he doesn’t really care what you think.
And neither do the rabid crowd present for the recording of the Misfits’ latest live album, ‘Dead Alive!’ Chants of Jerry’s name open up proceedings, neatly launching the band into the title track of their latest studio effort, ‘The Devil’s Rain’. To say that their most recent album was received warmly would be something of an overstatement. It was alright. I didn’t mind it. It wasn’t terrible; it just wasn’t the Misfits. It was almost totally devoid of the rebellious zeal that peppered their earlier releases. The majority of fans brutally slated it, opting instead to cuddle their vinyl editions of ‘Walk Among Us’. So, to fill up the first half of their latest live album completely with new material… Pretty ballsy. Ballsy bordering on idiotic, but ballsy nonetheless. However, it works on some levels. The flat, tepid nature of the new songs seems to have been quashed in the live environment, making for a thoroughly enjoyable listen. The one track that resembled any form of punk on the new album, ‘Vivid Red’, is played with a raucous amount of intensity, providing a snapshot of what the Misfits could sound like if they bothered to dig up their past more often. This thought will fester and claw at your brain like a cerebral mole rat; songs such as ‘Cold In Hell’ and ‘Dark Shadows’ just don’t need to be on here, adding nothing to festivities.
So. Halfway through. So far, so-so. Then, all of a sudden, the drums to Michale Graves-era tune ‘Shining’ kick in, serving as the supposed livelier second half of the set. And it is. The song itself is an absolute belter, and the performance is tight. Well, tight as a punk band can be. Only does an admirable job on vocals, but it just doesn’t live up to the original recording. It lacks Graves’ snotty edge that made it so feral; the key change to this song is one of my favourite Misfits moments ever, and this live version just fails to deliver the ghoulish goods. This is the problem throughout the rest of the CD; it’s decent, but it’s missing any real sense of tenacity. And that cover of ‘Science Fiction/Double Feature’... I still don’t know how I feel about that. I was just sat there, listening to the band who once sung ‘Mommy, Can I Go Out And Kill Tonight?’ covering a song from The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I tried to laugh at it. I really did. It can’t even be redeemed by renditions of the ‘classic’ Misfits songs... AS THERE ARE NONE. All traces of Glenn Danzig have been eradicated from this album, and whilst this might make the band feel all brotherly and chummy, it doesn’t do much for me. I’m not a musician, but I know that if I had the rights to play songs such as ‘Die Die My Darling’ and ‘Skulls’, then I’d bloody well play them.
Again, ‘Dead Alive!’ isn’t a bad attempt. It’s an ample representation of where the Misfits are now, as a band. But that’s also what’s wrong with it. When I listen to the Misfits, I want it to be unpolished. I want it to be edgy. I don’t want to hear Jerry Only singing songs from the ‘American Psycho’ album in his Pat Boone-esque croon. I want it to be dangerous. And it’s not going to be dangerous if they’re playing songs from Rocky Horror and failing to acknowledge the songs that made them famous in the first place. It’s an interesting effort on the Misfits’ behalf, and it fares well as a stand-alone piece. However, when held next to the majesty of their earlier works, it just can’t compete.
Hints and Tips: More Danzig stuff. And possibly a bit more Danzig stuff.
'Dead Alive!' is available now. Misfits tour the UK in April.
Mon April 1st 2013 - Fleece, Bristol
Wed April 3rd 2013 - O2 Academy Islington, London
Thu April 4th 2013 - O2 Academy Leeds, Leeds
Fri April 5th 2013 - O2 ABC Glasgow, Glasgow
Sat April 6th 2013 - HMV Ritz, Manchester
Sun April 7th 2013 - O2 Academy Newcastle, Newcastle
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So hopefully you’re up to speed now (And if you didn’t listen to those albums, what are you actually doing with your life?) The first incarnation of the Misfits was an unstoppable, truly monstrous musical debacle. Fronted by the hulking man-beast Glenn Danzig, there seemed to be no way of de-railing the Misfits machine. Except for when Danzig left and the band split up. Oh. Since then, the band has re-invented itself twice over; they returned once with the brash, youthful snarl of Michale Graves, dropping their original punk sound for a more heavy metal influenced racket. He quit after just two albums, with original guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (probably not his real name…) following quickly in his footsteps. This unfortunate turn of events left Jerry Only as the only original member, doubling up his bass duties with obligations to the microphone. Some felt sorry for Jerry. Some felt annoyed at Jerry. However, Jerry is still making an awful lot of money and success off the back of the Misfits; he doesn’t really care what you think..jpg)
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