Eagleionline

Candy Apples and Razorblades

This Saturday is one of the greatest days of the year. During Halloween, and really the entire month of October, there is one band that everyone should listen to: The Misfits (of course I mean the Danzig iteration). The Misfits basically started the musical genre of Horror Punk, and their lyrics and sound fit perfectly into the Halloween spirit. Their songs have great melodies and lyrics about zombies, demons, blood and murder; if you throw in some co-eds in lingerie you’ve got yourself a Halloween stew going, baby. In fact, they even have a song called “Halloween” (which was covered well by AFI on their first EP).

You might already have a preconceived notion of the Misfits, and the entire punk genre, but a quick listen will allay any of those concerns. The Misfits skull is one of the most iconic images in punk music. However, just because you saw some jackass with a pair of Converse that had the Misfits skull imprinted on them, does not mean the band isn’t amazing. The Misfits draw as much from 50s rock and roll as they do from punk. It is essentially like a darker, faster, melodic version of the 50s and 60s rock you used to listen to in your parents’ cars. As a noted music aficionado, let’s call him Golden, has stated “they don’t call Glenn Danzig ‘Evil Elvis’ for nothing.”

The most accessible song in the Misfits catalogue is “American Nightmare.”  While the lyrics are about murder, the devil, and blood, the underlying guitars give it a rockabilly feel, and the lead singer Glenn Danzig does his best channeling of Elvis. The track is unbelievably catchy and even has a clapping section to accompany. There is no dearth of amazing songs within the Misfits collection. While I think that greatest hits albums are reserved for housewives and little girls, if you want to get a well rounded idea of their sound, you can buy “Legacy of Brutality,” before getting into their deeper cuts. Outside of the box set, this is the only album on which “American Nightmare” appears, as well as another great track “Who Killed Maralyn?” The latter song demonstrates their obsession with past decades, that their sound and lyrics have. Similarly, “Bullet” concerns the assassination of JFK, and Danzig’s desire to have sex with Jackie O. If there is one time of the year that allusions to this assassination are always appropriate it is Halloween.

Their sound can be described as melodic, heavily distorted electric guitars with hypnotic choruses. The way in which they present songs, takes their dark horror lyrics out of the genre of the absurd that other bands (notably in the genre of death metal) fall into and adds certain levity to the dark arts. If you already listen to the Misfits, you are ahead of the game. If not, after only a couple of listens, you will find it impossible not to find yourselves singing some of their tunes. No other band can get songs about maggots and trophy skulls stuck in your head as easily.  Halloween and the Misfits go together like poor choices and Alcohol.