Review Summary: This is what happens when you mix 1/4 punk, 2/4 hardcore, and the rest, straight evil, only from the mind of Glenn Danzig.
When the Misfits formed and eventually started playing their very own brand of horror punk back in the late seventies, they could never have imagined the legacy and style of music and unfortunately image that they would leave behind. When many people first hear the Misfits, they might think that it is unoriginal and not deserving of the praise that it rightfully gets. The reason why this happens is because they were the innovators of this type of punk. Without them, we would most likely not have bands such as A.F.I., Alkaline Trio, and other worthy punk bands that exist today. Sure, some bands have copied and expanded on their style quite well, but as the saying goes, they aren't the real thing. So take a trip back to 1983. The Misftits had released Walk Among Us, Static Age (which wouldn't be released until 1996), and a slew of eps. They were making their mark, but unfortunately Glenn Danzig wasn't quite satisfied with the direction the 'Fits were going. This leads us to Earth A.D., the last full length by the original Misfits, and in my opinion the last time they would be relevant.
To start off, this Misfits album is not indicative of what their sound truly was. Gone are the ultra melodic and clean croons of Danzig. Replaced with it are fast riffs and shouted/distorted vocals. This might be a turn off to fans of Walk Among Us and even Static Age but to me it is quite symbolic of where the Misfits were going. Also gone, are the over the top, bordering on silly, B-horror movie lyrics. Songs such as "Bloodfeast" and "We Bite", show quite well that they wanted the lyrics to be straight horror, almost bordering on realistic. Well, maybe in the mind of Danzig.
The album blows by quite fast which is another small complaint. The total time runs under twenty-five minutes, but since all the songs are great in quality, I can't really argue with the length. Songs such as "We Bite" and "Green Hell" will be over in the blink of an eye, but it will leave you wanting more. Which, at the end of the day, is the only thing that matters in the music world.
This album combines hardcore and punk which in my opinion boded quite well for the Misfits. Sure, it was the popular thing in the early eighties, since bands such as Black Flag were becoming more recognized. But in my opinion, it added to the overall darkness and mood of the album. Songs such as "Earth A.D." and "Death Comes Ripping" might not have been possible without this very change.
So when it's all said and done, will this be the original Misfits swansong? Yes and no. It was quite a bang that they went out on, but I would not recommend this album to people looking to first hear the band. But, it would be hard for me to argue with myself that it isn't my favorite by them.
Recommended songs:
Green Hell
Die, Die My Darling
We Bite
Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?
