The Misfits start as part of the punk rock boom in the late 1970s. Taking their name from Marilyn Monroe's last film, the band's core was singer Glenn Danzig and bassist Jerry Only. Taking the style of 1950s and 60s rock as punk had, as well as the speed and energy of punk, Danzig fused in the imagery of monster movies. While not seen as such at the time, Horror Rock was largely born out of the efforts of the Misfits.
The band falls apart in the early 1980s. Danzig would continue on in Samhein as well as the band named after him with an even dark style of lyrics and an increasingly metal sound. By the 1990s, Jerry Only was ready to try again. With his brother Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, he got permission from Danzig to restart the Misfits and did. Just like the vampires and wolfmen of old, you just couldn't keep these monsters in the grave. With imagery 'borrowed' from movie serial 'The Crimson Ghost', they were back!
After a few years and a couple of albums (as well as some time appearing on WCW was that ever weird), that fell apart as well. Doyle got hurt, the new drummer and singer left, and there was only Jerry. Currently Jerry's lead singing with drummers and guitarists that will hang out with him for months or years at a crack. There's talk of a new album. I give him credit for hanging in there and doing what he loves but I'm not all that fond of Jerry's singing voice. To the point where I say, why put a video of that up when I can post another song I like?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGUWla4OVrY
Perhaps there will always be a place in the world for punk rockers that dress up as old school monsters. There may not be a place for this however...
The Misfits Box Set
Famous Monsters
Project 1950
No comments:
Post a Comment