The O-town Scene - Oneonta, NY
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Vinyl Vault The Misfits ‘Walk Among Us’ Ruby Records, 1982 How did a small punk band from New Jersey become one of the most successful cult bands of all time? Surely it wasn’t their inability to keep a consis- tent lineup, their poorly distributed records or their tumultuous break-up after four years. Despite massive setbacks throughout their career, The Misfits were still able to forge a legend- ary status in the American hardcore punk scene, create a new sub-genre of music and release a handful of cartoonishly violent, anthemic rock-and-roll records that are surprisingly accessible to anyone. Formed in Lodi, N.J., by singer Glenn Dan- zig and bassist Jerry Caifa (later Jerry Only) in 1977, The Misfits began life as a strange trio consisting of bass, drums and electric pia- no anchored by Danzig’s Roy Orbison meets Alice Cooper croon. By late 1978, the group had added a guitarist, moving Danzig to sole vocal duty and recorded their first album’s worth of material (released in the ’90s as “Static Age”). At this point, the band had perfected their sound, Ramones- esque power pop with outrageously dark lyrics rang- ing from Martian invasions to slasher fiction all delivered in Danzig’s signature baritone. In 1981, After touring relentlessly in support of tracks from the “Static Age” sessions, the band set out to Constantly walking the fine line between bad taste and tongue-in-cheek fun, Danzig channels zombies, demons, martians, serial killers and Nazi science experiments gone horribly wrong set against instantly accessible songs that demand to be listened to again and again. record their first proper album, 1982’s bril- liant gem “Walk Among Us.” Recorded across the United States while on tour, “Walk Among Us” is a surprisingly coherent document of The Misfits’ anthemic horror-punk (their self-created sub-genre), cramming an impressive 13-song set into a incredible 25 minutes. Conceptually, the group wore their B-movie influences on their sleeves, with the cover featuring the band set against the creature from 1959’s “The Angry Red Planet,” and flying saucers from 1956’s “Earth Versus The Flying Saucers.” While there is an undeniable musical kinship between the Ramones’ warp speed punk and ’50s rock and roll, Danzig’s peerless vocals and warped storytelling set this record apart. Constantly walking the fine line between bad taste and tongue-in-cheek fun, Danzig channels zombies, demons, martians, serial killers and Nazi science experiments gone horribly wrong set against instantly accessible songs that demand to be listened to again and again. After recording a follow-up album of more conventional hardcore-influenced songs, 1983’s “Earth A.D.,” The Misfits disbanded (appropriately enough) after their 1983 Halloween show. Despite unreliable record distribution, their relentless touring schedule and the rise in popularity of mix tapes in the underground punk scene insured that their fan base continued to grow long after their demise. After a release of a career-spanning box set in the ’90s, the band reformed with- out Danzig, and continues to perform today. Unlike their peers in the hardcore genre, The Misfits continue to appeal to new genera- tions because of their prevailing sense of fun. Like any great slasher movie, The Misfits found the perfect balance between mass appeal and gore, and have stood the test of time. _ James Derek Sapienza James Derek Sapienza is a 25-year-old musician and artist. His record collection contains more than 1,000 LPs and singles, which he has been collecting since he was 8 years old. Have news to share? E-mail tips and ideas to Scene Editor Cassandra Miller at editor@otownscene.com July 28, 2011 O-Town Scene 7