These 5 Misfits albums left scorch marks on the veneer of punk
Where does anyone even begin to explain the legacy of the Misfits? How did a bunch of guys from Lodi, New Jersey, end up leaving cauterized scorch marks on the veneer of punk? Forget punk, how about the realm of music, period? This APTV video collects five crucial Misfits records that floored people when they came out decades ago. Fortunately, none of these albums have lost their potency to inspire, conspire and perspire new listeners.
Back in the late Seventies, Glenn Danzig, Jerry Only, Doyle and a cadre of like-minded rockers essentially created horror-punk. Everything was perfect. The songs and terrifying lyrics! Collectible records with amazing sleeves! Scary, no-holds-barred shows! If the Misfits’ whole reason for being was merely to be trite and come off an assembly line, the legend would never have grown like a gargantuan shadow over the history of punk. You wouldn’t have people ponying up this kind of money to buy one of their records, either. Or enjoying their reputation with a series of sold-out reunion shows four years ago.
Read more: Misfits don’t want their skull on recent coffee-table book
The Misfits’ sphere of influence is both musically and culturally significant. Back in the ’80s, there was a cold war between the metal fans and the punk faithful. But in the metalheads’ eyes, the Misfits were “the punk band that was cool to like.” (Having this legend’s endorsement certainly didn’t hurt.) Members of select European metal bands assuredly have multiple copies of the records we’re featuring. There was even a post-rock musician who did an album of ‘fits cover versions with only a vocal mic, an acoustic guitar and a Walkman to his name.
Our new APTV video is a six-minute splattering of all the devil-locked, shadow-drenched, photocopy-printed grit that accompanied the Misfits’ brutal horror-punk. The clip recommends the essential tracks, making you an instant expert on the underworld vibes that radiated off of record sleeves and cemetery photo shoots.
The Misfits embody punk’s urgency and the creepy-crawly greatness that horror-culture fandom craves. Their output is the hideous heart of a monster you simply cannot kill, let alone defeat. Are they blood-soaked Beatles or maverick marauders of metal? They are neither. The Misfits are eternal.
