Showing posts sorted by relevance for query the misfits. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query the misfits. Sort by date Show all posts

Sunday, January 7, 2018

LIVE REVIEW - The Original Misfits/Alkaline Trio/Discharge: The Forum, 12/30/17




“If you take all of us individually, we’re only so big separately. If you put us together, it’s epic. It’s like you’re collecting action figures – now you’ve got them all!”


This is what Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein said to me back in November when we discussed the current reunion of “The Original Misfits.” In 2016, Doyle joined up with bassist (and brother) Jerry Only and singer Glenn Danzig to perform two shows together for the first time since 1983. These performances (at the Denver and Chicago Riot Fests) led to more offers for shows in 2017, resulting in a gig at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on December 28 and a sold-out spot at the Forum in Inglewood, CA on December 30. (The Vegas booking came about after the Forum show sold out in minutes.) The band’s lineup for all four reunion performances was augmented by legendary drummer Dave Lombardo (Slayer/Grip Inc./Fantômas/Dead Cross/Bladerunner) and second guitarist Acey Slade (Joan Jett and the Blackhearts/Dope/Murderdolls).

To clarify, the “Original Misfits” moniker refers to Only and Danzig; Doyle (the group’s third official guitarist) wasn’t a member of the band until 1980. The four shows performed so far under this name have been especially meaningful in that the singer and bassist – two guys from Lodi, NJ who spent six years making music together before spending the decades that followed in and out of courtrooms while often trading barbs in the press - actually stood on stage together. Only and Doyle first reformed The Misfits in the mid-’90s without Danzig, releasing two Metal-tinged albums featuring singer Michale Graves and drummer Dr. Chud. Doyle left the band (which by then featured returning ’82-’83-era drummer Robo and his fellow former Black Flag member Dez Cadena on second guitar) in 2001, later reuniting with Danzig for occasional special live appearances for well over a decade. From 2001 to 2016, Only led an ever-fluctuating lineup of the band that most recently featured his son, Jerry Jr. (a.k.a. “Jerry Other”), on guitar. Thanks to the Riot Fest shows, what many fans (or “fiends”) consider to be the definitive Misfits frontline of Danzig, Only and Doyle was finally back in horror business. 

While inner turmoil has been a cornerstone of The Misfits’ existence from the very beginning, there were no signs of inter-personal strife on stage at the Forum. From the opening drum blast of “Death Comes Ripping” to the final notes of “We Are 138,” The Misfits’ nearly 30-song set delivered exactly what 17,000-plus people filled every seat in the house to hear and witness. Most significantly, it appeared that these longtime adversaries were actually enjoying themselves onstage. (The fist bump shared between Danzig and Only in the middle of the show said more than words ever could.) Doyle was his usual monstrous self, while Only was in the best shape he’s been in ages. (It was impressive as hell to see the 58-year-old bassist slide on his knees for half the length of the stage and then immediately jump up on his feet while playing.)

One of the most accomplished and celebrated drummers in the world, Lombardo added a bounce and groove to the songs that elevated the band’s overall musicality to new levels. He took the best qualities of each of the group’s various former timekeepers and actually built on them, adding jaw-dropping fills and maneuvers along the way. He is an absolute king behind a kit, and he fit The Misfits like a glove.

Of course, this was still a Misfits show, so complete perfection should never have been anticipated. Feedback was pretty much the sixth member of the band, while every song was followed by a lengthy pause. (Also, “All Hell Breaks Loose” started slipping off the tracks when Danzig flubbed the placement of a verse, leading the tune to limp to the finish line shortly thereafter.) The Danzig-led version of The Misfits was and still is a band driven by power, not finesse. The Original Misfits’ set list brought a level of intensity not offered by other band lineups, but the constant between-song drops in energy were sobering reminders of just how tight and explosive the one-song-after-another charge of the Michale Graves-fronted incarnation truly was in its prime.

Full marks must be given to Danzig for rising above an apparent respiratory illness to give the crowd the best show possible. While his speaking voice was a hoarse whisper, his singing range was surprisingly strong. (“Some Kinda Hate” and “Hollywood Babylon” were astonishing highlights.) For an unwell man in his sixties, Danzig delivered at the Forum in awe-inspiring ways.

Considering The Misfits’ penchant for creating memorable visuals to accompany their music, it came as little surprise that they took to the spacious environment of the Forum like kids in a massive candy store. A row of Crimson Ghost projections near the top of the Forum greeted fiends outside, while the sizable stage boasted gigantic models of the evil pumpkin that adorned the cover of the 1981 “Halloween” single and a huge screen that displayed many of the band’s iconic images. 

Much has been made of the band’s decision to ban cell phones and other electronic devices at the show. While it understandably created a logistical headache for some, it was fantastic to go to a gig and not have to peer over a sea of screens to see the acts on stage. When it came time for the encore, lighters – not Samsungs – illuminated the venue. The absence of cell phones was a great thing to experience and something that will hopefully become the standard at live music events of this size moving forward. Of course, a few people were still successful in sneaking them in, resulting in a flood of YouTube videos that have already been removed due to copyright claims.  

(As an aside, it was nice to hear The Misfits’ 1980 song “Halloween II” – a track bolstered by pre-Doyle six-stringer and my old Undead bandmate Bobby Steele’s spooky, cane-induced guitar effects – play over the PA as the shell-shocked crowd made its way outside. Bobby might not be part of the “Original Misfits” reunion, but he was still heard loud and clear at the Forum.)

Considering that The Misfits’ “fiend” base is equally comprised of grizzled old schoolers who own the original singles and the Hot Topic contingent that buys up the band’s ever-expanding merch line, it was a stroke of sheer genius to book Discharge and Alkaline Trio to open the festivities. Like The Misfits, Discharge began all the way back in 1977, while Alkaline Trio represents the Pop-infused sounds of modern-day commercial Punk. Any misgivings that some of the old guard might have had over seeing Discharge hit an arena stage were dashed fairly quickly once it became apparent that they would be performing for about five percent of the potential audience. With the vast majority of concertgoers still hitting the merch and concession stands during their set, Discharge might as well have been playing a club. (They played for more people two years ago at the 476-seat Brighton Music Hall in Allston, MA than they did at the Forum.) Fortunately (and not unsurprisingly), the sparse crowd didn’t prevent Discharge from maintaining their Punk street cred and showcasing a blistering set of early ’80s classics (highlighted by ferocious versions of “Protest And Survive” and  “Hear Nothing See Nothing Say Nothing”) and newer material. (The live rendition of “Hatebomb” from 2016’s bulletproof End Of Days was a prime example of just how powerful these underground vets still are in the present tense.) It was also a pleasure to see current Discharge singer Jeff “JJ” Janiak, formerly of the New Jersey Oi! band Dead Heros (misspelling courtesy of the fellas), effortlessly make the stage his own. Janiak was also responsible for one of the brightest moments of the entire evening when he told the audience that they were witnessing the first Punk bill ever held at the Forum.

Playing in front of a gigantic logo backdrop, Alkaline Trio had the unenviable task of being the band that played right before The Misfits. While they are certainly fine players who know how to work a stage, the band’s sonic output was generic at best. Alkaline Trio might provide a great soundtrack for today’s rebellious youth to play on their way to the mall after school, but their pristine, radio-friendly repertoire felt out of place sandwiched between the incendiary groups that bookended the night.

The Misfits’ internal squabbles are the stuff of legend, but their music will always be the most interesting thing about them. While it remains to be seen if this notoriously combustible combination of personalities will keep it together long enough to carry on through 2018 (or beyond), The Misfits’ time on the Forum stage was an unforgettable celebration of one of the most powerful bands in underground music history. I’m glad these guys did this while they were all still alive to bask in the well-deserved glory.


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Monday, May 9, 2022

"Abominate" the Empire State: DOYLE Destroys New York




Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein live at The Chance, 4/9/2022



Author’s Note: The following is a companion piece to this feature from 2015.

In April 1977, a trio of musicians from New Jersey calling themselves The Misfits hit the stage at CBGB in New York City to perform in front of a live audience for the first time. In the nearly seven years that followed, the band (a.k.a. singer Glenn Danzig, bassist Jerry Only and various drummers and guitarists along the way) carved out a notorious niche for themselves in the American underground music scene thanks to its unique blend of horror-inspired imagery and insanely catchy songwriting.

Unfortunately, The Misfits infamously imploded in October 1983 – a good half-decade before the group’s cult following grew by leaps and bounds thanks to archival releases, album reissues and a big shot in the arm via two covers recorded by some band named Metallica. Only and his brother Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein (who joined The Misfits on guitar in 1980 at the tender age of 16) would finally take advantage of this posthumous attention by forming their own version of the band in 1995 with new members Michale Graves (vocals) and Dr. Chud (drums). On October 30th of that year – one day past the 12th anniversary of the band’s final show with Danzig at the mic – The Misfits appeared on stage at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY as special surprise guests of the evening’s headliner, Type O Negative. This event marked the official return of the band and Doyle’s first-ever appearance on the Chance stage.

A lot has happened since then. The first post-Danzig Misfits lineup lasted five years before grinding to a halt in 2000. Doyle, who split with The Misfits in 2001 shortly after Only took over lead vocal duties, resurfaced a few years later as a frequent special guest performer on Danzig tours and as the leader of the short-lived band Gorgeous Frankenstein. Since 2013, he has led a second group, Doyle, with singer Alex Story (Cancerslug) and a revolving-door rhythm section that at one time featured his old Misfits bandmate Chud. When not hitting clubs around the world with his own band these days, Doyle has spent the last six years playing for substantially larger crowds whenever “The Original Misfits” (a snazzy but inaccurate moniker given to what is essentially the band’s legendary 1980-1982 lineup – the band’s fifth official incarnation* – minus drummer Arthur Googy and with ex Slayer/current Testament timekeeper Dave Lombardo and former Murderdolls guitarist Acey Slade in tow) decides to announce a show and immediately sell out an arena. With only one “Original Misfits” show scheduled for 2022 as of this writing – and after being cooped up for the better part of two years due to the pandemic – Doyle recently brought his band back to the road for the US leg of his awesomely titled “Abominate the World as We Die World Tour.” On April 9 – mere days ahead of the 40th anniversary of that very first Misfits show at CBGB – his latest trek touched down where the second chapter of The Misfits’ storied career began.


Alex Story, Wade Murff and Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein of DOYLE



As anyone who’s heard Doyle and Jerry’s late-’80s band Kryst the Conqueror knows, the guitarist’s preferred playing style moved away from straight-up Punk decades ago. (As the man himself told me in 2017, “I’m more into Metal; that’s the direction I’m going with ‘Doyle.’”) Not surprisingly, Doyle’s music falls somewhere between Cowboys from Hell-era Pantera and the heaviest songs off The Misfits’ Famous Monsters. The menacing “Witchcraft” and the ’50s-flavored “DreamingDeadGirls” – two songs that could have found comfortable spots in Graves-era Misfits – were shining moments of the Chance performance that exemplified this sonic direction.

Physically speaking, Doyle is Doyle – a towering physical presence who still pounds his fucking guitar like a jackhammer. (Some of you will get that reference, surely.) As a musician…well…Doyle is Doyle in that department, too. The guy’s never been Yngwie Malmsteen, but he always delivers enough muscle and musical force to enthrall a crowd.

Full marks also go to the stellar rhythm section of bassist Brandon “Izzy” Strate and drummer Wade Murff for keeping the train on the tracks as Doyle and Story stomped and slammed their way around the stage.

Brandon "Izzy" Strate and Alex Story of DOYLE


Although Doyle the band didn’t perform a single note of Misfits material during its headlining set, I couldn’t help but be transported back in time to the last time I saw Doyle the man play that stage. I was fortunate enough to ride up with The Misfits to The Chance on October 30, 1995. To see Doyle up there in 2022 – from the exact spot on the floor I stood to watch him play in 1995 – was worth this most recent trip alone. And when I looked at Doyle on that stage last month, I didn’t just see him – I also saw Peter Steele (RIP), Graves and Jerry up there nearly 30 years ago as my mind filled with memories of a special night I was lucky enough to experience when I was barely 18 years old. To make the evening even more surreal, I spotted a guy in the audience wearing a Misfits “Jurek Skull” shirt – a design that is significantly tied to the band members and the people who accompanied them to the ’95 show – and later walked out of the club to find a large van parked outside in the exact spot where The Misfits had parked theirs that night. Yes, this is all very nerdy even by typical Misfits “fiend” standards, but it was still nice to have such strong reminders of great memories from my past.

It’s incredibly rare for someone to remain relevant in the music industry 42 years after their first gig, but Doyle is still out there punching his guitar and swinging his devilock a few months shy of his 58th birthday. Sure, playing in a band as iconic as The Misfits surely helped Doyle open the door to a solo career, but it’s up to him to come up with the goods to stay in the room. Based on his band’s latest performance at The Chance, the monstrous motherfucker is gonna stick around for as long as he damn well pleases.

*This figure is based on official Misfits recording lineups and does not include any temporary lineups that existed between 1977 and 1983.

More on Doyle:

Return of the Vegan Monster: DOYLE Returns to the Road

Green Health: A Vegan Misfit's Guide to Horror Punk Survival

Never Enough Horror Business: A Conversation with DOYLE


Doyle's Official Website

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Monday, April 6, 2015

Misfits Memories: How 'Earth A.D.' Changed My Life




Last week, the official lineup for the 2015 This Is Hardcore Fest in Philadelphia was announced. In addition to long-running scene stalwarts like the Cro-Mags, Slapshot, Biohazard and Killing Time, this year's event (held July 23 at Union Transfer and July 24-26 at the Electric Factory) boasts a July 25 headlining set by The Misfits, who are being billed as performing their 1983 album, Earth A.D., in its entirety.

Of course, today's version of The Misfits is vastly different than the band that recorded that album more than 30 years ago. If you venture out to This Is Hardcore to check out this special set, you will see bassist Jerry Only handling lead vocals (a role he's had for nearly 15 years now). On guitar, you'll see Only's son, Jerry Jr., who joined the band last year. On second guitar, you'll likely see either former Black Flag/DC3 member Dez Cadena (who has been playing with The Misfits since 2001 but recently announced an indeterminate break from the band to tend to health issues) or Soulfly/Il Nino/Cavalera Conspiracy player Marc Rizzo. On drums, you'll get a bona fide Hardcore guy in the form of Eric “Chupacabra” Arce a.k.a Goat on Murphy's Law, Skarhead, Harley's War and Crown of Thornz, who has played in The Misfits on a full-time basis since 2010 after filling in on several occasions in the prior decade.

Of course, the Earth A.D. announcement prompted a strong – and, in some cases, incredibly negative – response from fans. Personally, I'm thrilled by the news. And here's why...

When I was growing up and first discovering Punk and Hardcore, The Misfits were a huge deal to me. Being a North Jersey kid, I'd spot the poster for the Doyle Fan Club around – or see that amazing cover art for the full-length album version of Evilive – and marvel that a band that cool came from the area.

Although I was (and remain) a massive fan of Walk Among Us, it was Earth A.D. that knocked me over with its sheer power when I first heard it. I was already well into bands like Slayer and Metallica by then, but there was nothing that sounded that raw and menacing to my ears at the time. (I had a similar experience years later when I heard Hellhammer for the first time, but that's a story for another blog.) Later, my Earth A.D. cassette (yes, I said cassette) was a constant for me throughout my senior year of high school, when I'd often leave at the end of the day and immediately head over to Jerry's and make noise with him (and sometimes Doyle) for a couple of hours.

When I started hanging out and jamming with The Misfits in early '95 (the history of all that can be read here), I knew about 30-35 songs from their back catalog, but very little from Earth A.D. The reason for that was simple: There is a massive difference between the basic 4/4 I-can-play-this-in-my-sleep drumming on most of Walk Among Us and the frightening, breakneck precision of ROBO's performance on Earth A.D. Sure, the band live circa '82/'83 was an adrenaline-fueled train wreck, but Jerry, Doyle and ROBO are as tight as the Bad Brains on Earth A.D. (Just listen to “Green Hell” if you don't believe me.) In my mind, there was no way a 17-year-old version of me was going to be able to pull off that kind of speed and skill behind the drums– let alone on ROBO's old kit, which was what Jerry and Doyle had in the rehearsal room in their family's machine shop at the time. But I gave it a try, once bashing out “Green Hell” with Jerry and Doyle in a roomful of hopeful vocalists waiting for their moment to audition. I got through about three quarters of the song with flying colors before I missed one of those fast-as-fuck cymbal hits and it completely fell apart. Oops!



Left to right: Doyle, a 17-year-old/green-haired me and Jerry Only in 1995, probably moments away from attempting "Green Hell" (Collection of the author)


(A few weeks later, I went up to the machine shop and got the chance to see Doyle, Jerry and Chud bang out a good chunk of the Earth A.D. material the way it should have been played. I still remember literally feeling the power of Doyle's guitar hit my chest, and how well Chud handled those songs. When I saw that, I had no doubt that he would definitely be the drummer in the new Misfits.)

Looking back over The Misfits' vast and sometimes-turbulent discography, it's clear that Earth A.D. contains some of the heaviest and most brutally innovative work the band ever created. Have a listen to “Bloodfeast.” What other Misfits song (besides maybe “All Hell Breaks Loose” off Walk Among Us) demands such a varied drum performance? Without a doubt, ROBO was the strongest drummer the original Misfits ever had. As a songwriter, Glenn Danzig was beginning to greatly expand his musical vocabulary with Earth A.D., a trend he continued with his work in Samhain. If Walk Among Us represents The Misfits on Mars, then Earth A.D. represents the band's reign in Hell.

Naturally, the album's cover matched the brutal sounds within. According to legend, infamous Punk artist Mad Marc Rude spent more than 300 hours creating that piece. Not only did it perfectly represent the record's musical and lyrical content, but it also created the template for the years' worth of gore-infused Death Metal album covers to come. I was fortunate enough to meet Mad Marc in the summer of 1996, when he turned up at the Vernon, NJ stop of the Warped Tour with my buddies Sal and Dan Canzonieri of Electric Frankenstein. Although our conversation was brief, I'll never forget the guy. He was fucking intense – loaded with tattoos (including, if I remember correctly, one of Woody Woodpecker on his neck) and looking like he had lived very hard. Sadly, Mad Marc passed away in 2002. Those interested in checking out more of his incomparable art should definitely check out this Facebook page, Electric Frankenstein's Monster EP and his work in Dwarves frontman Blag Dahlia's brilliantly batshit 1998 novel, Armed to the Teeth with Lipstick. Additionally, a documentary on Rude's art and life, Mad Marc Rude: Blood, Ink & Needles, has been in production for years now and is said to be ready for wide release at some point later this year. Here's the trailer:




 In addition to being my favorite album art of all time, Rude's Earth A.D. piece grew in personal significance when I accompanied Jerry and Doyle in the spring of '95 to the home of a fellow they called “King Resin,” who was making wall plaques of the album art out of a mold. The guys were nice enough to present me with the eighth Earth A.D. wall plaque ever made:








Painted versions of the plaque (along with a Jerry Only model and a “Pusshead” [sic] plaque), were later made available to the public, as seen in this rare order form from 1995:



Listening to Earth A.D. in 2015 brings back some strong memories for me. I can still see Jerry Jr., then just a little kid, asking his dad how much longer he was going to be doing band stuff at the shop that day because he was bored and wanted to leave. Another time, I redeemed myself in the Earth A.D. realm when I was jamming with Jerry and Doyle and we kicked into “Death Comes Ripping.” I hit the tune with as much energy as I could muster, and I absolutely slayed that fucker. When it was over, Jerry said I played the song too fast and needed to slow it down next time! Yeah...there I was, playing “Death Comes Ripping” on ROBO's drum kit and being told I played a song from Earth A.D. too fast. I consider that a major achievement to this day! (Unfortunately, I don't think that particular moment was recorded. Damn...) Above all, I remember Jerry putting in a lot of very long and hard days to get The Misfits going again. One minute, he was picking up boxes of t-shirts; the next minute, he was off to visit with Basil Gogos or Ed Repka to pick up artwork. After that, he'd head back to the shop, unload the stuff he picked up, handle a bunch of phone calls and then hit the practice/weight room to bang out a few songs before planning out more band-related stuff in the shop's large conference room. I spent a lot of time at the shop in that era, and it wasn't uncommon to see a typical Misfits-related workday for the guy start at 7:30am and end around 11pm. Jerry Only is the hardest-working, most professional musician I've ever known, and he's earned every penny he's made.

Earth A.D. was the soundtrack to a special time in my life. The album is irreplaceable to me.

With all that said, let's go back to the complaints concerning The Misfits' performance of Earth A.D. at This Is Hardcore. I find it amusing that some people will decry the idea of the Jerry-led Misfits playing an album without certain key members, but nobody seems to mind that the current Cro-Mags are selling a t-shirt with the words Best Wishes on it when nobody from today's lineup played a note on the album of the same name. I see no problem with either example, as I'd rather see these two bands honor their pasts instead of denying that there was a history before their current incarnations. It's also worth noting that before his medical problems recently took him out of the game, Dez served as the guitarist for The Misfits longer than any other six-stringer they've ever had (and that includes Doyle). Something else to consider: Jerry's stint as the band's singer has outlived the Danzig era (six years) and the Graves era (five years) combined. Simply put, there isn't a band on this planet - including a Jerry-fronted one - that can survive as a international touring act for nearly 15 years by sucking – regardless of whatever notoriety or success they achieved in the past. The reputation of the Danzig years might have allowed Only to get his foot in the door when he brought the band back in '95, but it is his talent, determination and drive that has kept him in the room for two decades and counting. If people from all over the world didn't come out in droves to see the Only-fronted Misfits play all these years – and the band didn't still put on a decent show - there wouldn't be a Misfits in the present tense. The band is obviously doing something right.

Yes, Jerry's voice cracks under the pressure of the material at times, but Danzig's been out of breath every time I've seen him perform in the last 10 years. That doesn't mean that these guys fail to deliver plenty of power from the stage; it's just that we're talking about guys who are in their mid- to- late 50s playing high-energy music they developed when they were in their 20s and 30s. You're not going to see or hear an exact replica of what they gave us in the '80s or '90s. Get over it and just enjoy the fact that these guys are still at it in 2015. In the case of today's Misfits, go on YouTube, watch videos of the current four-piece band and seriously ask yourself if you could bring the onstage energy that Jerry does at 56 years of age. I know I can't do it today at 38.

Twenty years ago, people said there couldn't be a Misfits without Glenn Danzig. Well, Jerry Only has proven everyone wrong ever since. Now he's taking on the heaviest and most challenging album in the band's discography from beginning to end while most people his age are enjoying AARP discounts. That is fucking Hardcore, and I'm going to make every effort to be there when The Misfits hit the stage in Philly.

Go here for more information on the This Is Hardcore Fest.



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Sunday, November 6, 2022

"Anti-Hero" and the Further Adventures of Uncle Mo







There are few people in this world more dangerous than a man with nothing left to prove.


At 63, bassist/singer Jerry Only (“Mo” to his family and friends) has done – and survived – it all. As the teenage bassist for Lodi, New Jersey’s legendary Misfits, he was already hitting the stage at CBGB by the spring of 1977. Until 1983, he served as the band’s blue-collar secret weapon – regularly recording and performing with the group while working at his family’s machine shop to fund the entire evil endeavor. Glenn Danzig was the captain on stage, but Mo was the soldier on the streets making things happen. It was a partnership that worked for years until internal disagreements and power struggles led to the classic-era Misfits’ implosion.

In 1995 (and after a head scratch-inducing stint alongside his brother/1980-1983 Misfits guitarist Doyle in the Christian Power Metal band Kryst The Conqueror), Mo set out to put together his own version of The Misfits with Doyle following a lengthy lawsuit with Danzig. After several months of tedious vocalist/drummer auditions, a new Misfits lineup completed by singer Michale Graves and timekeeper Dr. Chud finally emerged. This incarnation of the band lasted for five years and two studio albums before everyone except Mo split. (Naturally, reports on the reasons for the breakup vary. Go ask those guys for answers; I ain’t touching the topic with a 10-foot pole!)

This was when things got interesting. For the next 16 years, the bassist led a frequently changing lineup of the band – let’s call them The MOfits – with himself on lead vocals.

Marky Ramone, former Misfits/Black Flag member Robo, drummer Eric “Chupacabra” Arce (Murphy’s Law/Skarhead/Electric Frankenstein), Black Flag’s Dez Cadena and even Mo’s son, Jerry Jr. (rechristened “Jerry Other,” tee-hee), all served as MOfits at one point or another.

In the fall of 2016, “The Original Misfits” (a.k.a. Mo and Danzig with Doyle, drum legend Dave Lombardo and second guitarist Acey Slade all serving as hired guns) finally got their legal and interpersonal shit together well enough to do a reunion show in Denver – and they’ve been selling out arenas ever since.

So, where does this leave The MOfits? Well, presumably in the same dead waters as the final, Tony Martin-fronted lineup of Black Sabbath that existed before Ozzy rejoined in 1997. (Many Sabbath fans wondered why the 2006-2010 reunion of the Ronnie James Dio-era Sabbath went out on the road as ”Heaven and Hell.” Why was this even a question? Simply put, Ozzy still sells out massive venues on his own, while Dio circa 2006 was a club headliner at best. Going out as “Black Sabbath” with Dio up front would have butchered the Sabbath brand in the marketplace – the same way a new MOFits release or tour would shit all over “The Original Misfits” today. Harsh but true.) Frankly, there’s simply no need for – or public interest in – a MOFits album in 2022. So, what we have instead is Mo’s first-ever solo album, Anti-Hero.

Unencumbered by expectations surrounding the Misfits name, Mo is finally able to stand or fall on his own musical merits and do whatever the hell he wants. This truly is Jerry Only time, and he has the freedom that comes with plenty of hard-earned cash in the bank and absolutely no fucks necessary to give. Heavy on the MOfits vibe but also sonically falling somewhere between glam-era David Bowie and oldies radio (two of the guy’s primary influences), the eight-song Anti-Hero is the album that Mo was born to make.

Retaining MOFits members Arce and Jerry Other – and bringing Slade, Lombardo, Cadena, producer extraordinaire Ed Stasium (who also contributes percussion, guitar and backing vocals), former Anthrax guitarist Rob Caggiano, keyboardist/backing vocalist Andy Burton and Dennis Diken of The Smithereens (!!!) along for the ride – Mo has crafted a solid, catchy and memorable record that largely sounds like a mix between The MOFits’ 2011 album, The Devil’s Rain, and 2003’s criminally underrated covers collection, Project 1950. If you enjoy those albums as much as I do, then you’ll find plenty to love on Anti-Hero. If you believe The Misfits broke up in October 1983 and didn’t play again until 2016, then you’re not going to bother with this fucking thing anyway. Those who are willing to give Anti-Hero a fair shake will be treated to a lot of great meat-and-potatoes Mo music here, including the brilliantly anthemic “Snake Eyes” (which gets better with each listen) and the exceptional album closer “Anti-Heroes” (which surprisingly enters Queen territory in spots thanks to some truly fantastic playing by Caggiano, Lombardo and Burton. Those final 69 seconds are fucking amazing!) Other standout moments include the mid-tempo scorcher “Illuminati” (a track bolstered by Arce’s tom-heavy performance) and a raucous rendition of “(You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care.”

As for Mo’s singing voice, it still sounds like a fairly passable Robert Gordon impression done by a drunk uncle who’s grabbed the mic late into an Italian wedding reception. I like it just fine – and I even liked it years before The MOFits when I sat next to him as he belted out ’50s classics behind the wheel during an all-day road trip back in ’95. The guy’s having fun and doing his thing. Let him be.

(As an aside, it’s interesting to experience how much The Misfits’ 1995-2000 members’ individual solo endeavors reflect their unique personalities: Mo is Mo, while Doyle’s output is full-on machismo with a “fuck you” attitude. Graves is the sensitive Pop-leaning poet, while Dr. Chud’s goofy Punk/Metal schlock is fueled by the man’s under-the-surface intelligence and vast talents behind the production/engineering desk. It would be an intriguing listen if these four guys ever reconvened to put their collective near quarter-century of post-Misfits artistic growth into a new album together. Fuck, fellas, do it under the moniker “American Psycho” if you have to – just do it before one of you assholes croaks. I’m not the only one who loved and misses your version of the band!)

Mo is a polarizing figure amongst fiends, but there’s no denying the guy’s passion for what he does and the fact he’s busted his ass every step of the way. (I’m not just talking out of my ass here. There were plenty of times in the mid-‘90s when Mo would tirelessly practice the band’s lengthy set even when no one else from the group was available or had bothered to show up. The fill-in drummer for many of these occasions? Yours truly.) The Misfits name may have opened plenty of doors for Mo when he brought the band back from the dead in ’95, but it was his ingenuity and sheer force of will that kept The Misfits in the room for the next 21 years. Mo was the guy who kept The Misfits alive in the market - and thus the band’s back catalog in circulation – until the inevitable reconnection with Glenn took place. The millions-making reunion we’re seeing now would not have happened without Mo’s hard work in the years preceding it. This is not open for debate.

With Anti-Hero, he finally gets his true moment in the spotlight after decades in the trenches, and it’s fucking great.

JOEL GAUSTEN ON FACEBOOK

EMAIL JOEL at gaustenbooks@gmail.com


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Friday, October 30, 2015

Bloody Kisses in Poughkeepsie: Remembering Peter Steele, Lesbian Nuns & The Misfits' Shocking Return






Twenty years ago today (October 30), I experienced one of the craziest and most memorable nights of my life.

There I was, standing in the crowd at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY and watching the new version of The Misfits – Jerry Only, Doyle, Michale Graves and Dr. Chud – hit the stage during an encore at a Type O Negative show to play a handful of classic songs. It was the first time The Misfits had performed in public in over a decade. It was the start of a new era for one of Punk's most celebrated and influential bands, and I got to see it with my own two eyes.

A lot of things led up to their seven or so minutes on stage. Earlier in 1995, Jerry and Doyle launched a lengthy audition process for a new singer and drummer. As previously mentioned here and here, I ended up meeting the guys during this time and soon started filling in on drums pretty regularly at these auditions/rehearsals. By that spring, it was pretty much determined that Michale Graves and Dr. Chud would be the guys for the job. Plans were set to have the band's first show with the new lineup be at Action Park in Vernon, NJ, with yours truly serving as the event's promoter and organizer. This sounded great on paper, but on the day we solidified the date with the venue, Doyle just stood there shaking his head, saying “I'm gonna call him... I'm gonna call him.” Of course, “him” was Glenn Danzig. It turned out that there was still some willingness on the guitarist's part to at least see if something could be worked out for a proper reunion before moving forward. A few weeks later, the guys went to a Danzig/Marilyn Manson/Korn show at (I believe) the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank. After the show, Doyle tracked down Glenn's hotel room and went up there to try to talk to him. Before long, Glenn had Doyle removed by security. (I wasn't there that night, but this is the story as it was told to me back then, so I'm sticking to it.) So, yeah, no reunion with Glenn took place. Not too long after that night, Jerry told me that he decided that doing a big show at Action Park would be premature at that early point in their comeback, so we canceled the gig. (I did put on a show with them at Action Park the following year. One of my personal highlights from the evening was singing backups on “We Are 138” on stage alongside Zombie!'s Eric Weiss and – of all people – Bobby Steele.)

With an Action Park show no longer on the table, the real first live appearance from The Misfits 2.0 would be during the encore at the Type O show. Riding up to Poughkeepsie in the van with those guys, I couldn't get over the fact that I was about to witness history like this. On the way, Jerry gave me one of the band's newest t-shirts, which featured the “Jurek Skull” (a variation of the standard Misfits Crimson Ghost). Because this design had yet to be made available to the public, these shirts were worn as “passes” by everyone in The Misfits' entourage that night. Here's mine, which has held up fairly well:




Although we missed openers Lycia and The Electric Hellfire Club, we arrived in time to catch a good chunk of Type O's incredible set. They were simply amazing, delivering flawless (and quite heavy) renditions of tracks like “Too Late: Frozen” and “Christian Woman” (which featured a guest appearance by two young ladies dressed as nuns, who proceeded to make out on stage during the song.) I had been a fan of Type O frontman Peter Steele's earlier band, Carnivore, and had followed Type O's progress since the days they went by the name Repulsion. I was really looking forward to seeing them. They absolutely fucking blew me away.

A few minutes later, the Misfits story changed forever.

With Type O guitarist Kenny Hickey on vocals, The Misfits stormed the stage during the encore, playing “20 Eyes” and “Vampira” before Graves came out and took over for Kenny on “Astro Zombies.”

Then it was all over. I wasn't alive to see The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show, but I saw The Misfits' first time on stage in 12 years. (I'm pretty sure Doyle's first wife was there that night as well and filmed the proceedings. I'd kill to see that footage!)

Later that evening, Jerry brought me backstage. The first person I met was a jovial Thomas Thorn of The Electric Hellfire Club, who was quick to share his excitement over hanging out with The Misfits. And quietly slumped over shirtless in a chair on the other side of the room... Peter Steele. After Jerry introduced me to him, Peter handed me the bottle of whiskey he was nursing and said, “Drink!” Happy to oblige, I took the bottle and started chugging. “WHOA!” exclaimed the man in his trademark baritone before taking the bottle back. Following that memorable introduction, we got to chatting. Since I knew that Peter had roots in the New York Hardcore scene (including writing lyrics for Agnostic Front's classic Cause For Alarm album), I mentioned that I had recently been in touch with Raybeez from Warzone to book the band for a hall show I was putting on in New Jersey the following month. Peter's eyes immediately lit up, and he asked me to make sure I told Ray that he said hello the next time I talked to him. Later, I asked Peter to sign the only thing I had on me at the time – the back of one of my business cards for “Joel Gausten Productions,” which was the name I went by when I used to book shows. (I've moved multiple times in the last 20 years; to the best of my knowledge, that card is currently boxed up - along with a bunch of other personal items - in my family's storage place in the Midwest. I really need to get out there one of these days!)

Although some (hell, many) details of this evening are a blur due to the fact that I was drunk as a skunk for most of it, I do recall Peter being incredibly friendly and quick to make me feel welcome. (He even offered me some of the porn that was scattered around the room!) Later that night, I went with The Misfits somewhere to check out a building (a barn?) that they had converted into what looked like a mad scientist horror movie set. I could be wrong, but I think this is where they shot some of footage for the Chiller Theatre/Fiend Club show they were working on around this time. (This is why I no longer drink when I go out. Memories and details are more important to me than hangovers.) Anyway, it was an incredible night, and I'm forever grateful to Jerry for inviting me along for the ride.

A lot has happened to that evening's cast of characters in the last two decades. The Misfits' “reunion” lineup lasted five years before imploding, with Graves spending subsequent years releasing an array of intriguing albums. Doyle, who apparently forgave Danzig for the hotel incident, has been touring with the original Misfits frontman on and off for the past decade or so. Jerry's currently on the road with a new version of The Misfits with his son of guitar, while Chud has maintained a decidedly low profile in recent times (with the release of his limited-edition doll being a notable exception.) Sadly, Raybeez died less than two years after I passed along Peter's well wishes to him.

Of course, the biggest thing that hits me when I look back on this night is the fact that Peter Steele is no longer with us. Twenty years ago, I saw a frontman and band at the absolutely peak of their powers, quickly building a legend that has only grown in relevance with each passing year. It's a shame it all ended so tragically. A lot of been said about Peter, but here's what matters: That guys was fucking brilliant, and he left the building too goddamn soon. (Just listen to “Love You To Death” off October Rust. Only a truly special soul could create something so powerful.)



With Peter's mortality in mind, I'd like to publicly send this message to Jerry and Doyle:

Fellas, 

 It's been 20 years since The Misfits came back from the dead, and more than 30 years since your last show with Glenn. Time is nobody's friend. Peter's gone. Raybeez is gone. Dave Brockie is gone. We're all going to end up there eventually. You guys and Glenn are still here and breathing. Please, do it before time steals your chance.

Happy Halloween and all the best -

Joel


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Tuesday, May 22, 2018

LIVE REVIEW - The Original Misfits/Suicidal Tendencies/Murphy's Law/Harley "Cro-Mags" Flanagan: Prudential Center, 5/19/18





This was the show that mattered.

For their fifth reunion show since reconvening in 2016, “The Original Misfits” (a.k.a. singer Glenn Danzig and bassist Jerry Only with long-serving guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, second six-stringer Acey Slade and legendary drummer Dave Lombardo) finally touched down in their original home state of New Jersey for a sold-out show at Newark’s Prudential Center. Considering that most of the band’s classic material was written in a Lodi, NJ home about 14 miles from the venue, anticipation for the Danzig-fronted incarnation’s first local show in 35 years was incredibly high. Fans poured out cash for high-priced tickets and merch, while more than a few of them also made the critical pilgrimage to Lodi Pizza to take in some relevant local history. This was a big fucking deal, and the inclusion of openers Suicidal Tendencies, Murphy’s Law and Harley “Cro-Mags” Flanagan made the whole thing even sweeter.

Compared to the band’s previous performance at the Forum in Los Angeles (reviewed here), The Misfits’ time in the Garden State was a less cohesive affair. “London Dungeon” was the evening’s bona fide train wreck, with Doyle often playing his guitar parts a good 10 seconds ahead of his bandmates (after Danzig came in late with the vocals). While the onstage feedback was not as prominent as it was at the Forum show, the gaps between songs were even longer this time around. (It must also be said that Danzig’s voice was clearly strained for a good chunk of the set.) But when the band hit the target, they were bulletproof: Doyle’s guitar work on “Where Eagles Dare” was the most intense thing this writer’s even seen the guy produce, and the crowd singalong during a vicious and victorious “Skulls” made every hardship the band endured over the last 41 years absolutely worth it. Lombardo, whose playing was noticeably more subdued than his fill-heavy theatrics at the Forum, kept the beats simple and strong. It was also nice to hear a solid version of “All Hell Breaks Loose,” which had limped off the tracks at the LA show after Danzig flubbed a verse.

Of course, none of the show’s sonic shortcomings meant a fucking thing. The Misfits were never about perfection (as the continued reverence for the forever-awesome Evilive - one of the most dogshit-sounding and-performed live recordings in history – clearly demonstrates). This show was about three irreplaceable performers and personalities putting their differences aside and getting on with their horror business in the place where it all began.

(The day after the show, word spread that Danzig’s mother passed away just hours before the gig. The guy still hitting the stage for what already had to be a high-pressure gig was one of the most Punk Rock things anyone has ever done. Respect and condolences.)  

Although California’s Suicidal Tendencies are quickly approaching the 40-year mark in their career, the band’s high-energy set showed no signs of age and was by far the evening’s tightest. Bouncing between old-school gems like 1983’s “I Shot The Devii” and late  ’80s/early ’90s crossover tunes like “War Inside My Head” and “You Can’t Bring Me Down,” singer Mike Muir and company provided the perfect atmosphere to get the audience – who sported just as many Thrash/Metal band shirts as they did Crimson Ghost-emblazoned apparel – ready for the main event. Respect must be given to outrageously talented fill-in drummer Brandon Pertzborn, who sat in for regular ST timekeeper Lombardo. The guy’s been absolutely killing it in recent years (with a growing list of acts including “reunion”- era Black Flag, ho99o9 and Doyle’s solo band), and his precise playing for Suicidal was another exciting chapter in what is sure to be a long and successful career.

Murphy’s Law have always been New York Hardcore’s party band, so it was no shock that singer Jimmy Gestapo and crew brought a spirit of mischief to the stage. Naturally, the band’s set featured extended breaks that saw Gestapo goof around with the crowd (which included a little kid who was brought up on stage for the festivities). When the guys actually got around to playing music, they were completely on point, with the pro-pot anthem “Quest For Herb” being particularly, well, blazing. Few bands from the typically stone-faced New York scene could succeed in doing what Murphy’s Law have done for decades now, and their good-humored set was a reminder that Hardcore is as much about fun as it is about fury.  

Considering that the entire show was a celebration of underground music’s glorious past, there was no way to do this thing right without having Harley Flanagan on the bill. Of everyone who hit the stage at the Prudential Center, Harley’s been in this game the longest – first as a little kid hanging out at CBGB’s before those letters meant anything to anyone and later as the young drummer for first-generation NY punks The Stimulators. Of course, he made his greatest mark in NYC and the world as the leader of the classic-era Cro-Mags, whose groundbreaking music was prominently featured in his blistering (if frustratingly brief) opening set. Already sonically intense on record, Cro-Mags staples like “We Gotta Know” and “World Peace” absolutely soared in an arena setting, a feat helped along by Danzig/Samhain mainstay Steve Zing’s guest turn behind the soundboard. Full marks go to drummer Gary “G-Man” Sullivan, who effortlessly matched the fire of ’80s-era Cro-Mags drummers Mackie Jayson and Petey Hines with impressive ease. (Sullivan’s live performance on “Death Camps” off 1989’s Best Wishes most intensely captured his gifts behind the kit). While the Cro-Mags continue to be a source of controversy due to their notorious in-fighting and fluctuating lineups, Harley made it clear that he still excels at what’s truly important – delivering the goods with music that could crack ribs all the way in the nosebleeds.

While it is true that the evening delivered four hours of unforgettable music, it offered an even greater meaning to those who remember seeing these bands when the phrase “back in the day” meant running the risk of getting knifed on the way to a show. Every act on this stage built something for themselves by doing it their way, and none of them were embraced by the mainstream in their early years. These groups formed during a time when it was excruciatingly difficult and often downright dangerous to be a Punk or Hardcore band. Now, they’ve sold out a frigging arena. Seeing all of these guys – and the surviving members of their original crowd – have this experience was a magical thing. Every single person who stepped on that stage Saturday night was right all along.   


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