Misfits "Famous Monsters" Roadrunner Records RR 8658-2 1999 (44:49)

Kong at the Gates (1:22)
The Forbidden Zone (2:24)
Lost in Space (2:27)
Dust to Dust (2:44)
Crawling Eye (2:23)
Witch Hunt (1:32)
Scream! (2:34)
Saturday Night (3:28)
Pumpkin Head (2:16)
Scarecrow Man (3:10)
Die Monster Die (2:00)
Living Hell (2:55)
Descending Angel (3:46)
Them (2:43)
Fiend Club (2:52)
Hunting Humans (2:07)
Helena (3:20)
Kong Unleashed (:45)

The Misfits are Jerry Only (bass), Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein (guitar), Michale Graves (vocals) and Dr. Chud (drums).

Oh man ... this sucks.  I should have known better from the front cover and song titles.  This must be really embarrassing for Danzig, maybe even moreso than his own dreadful album of a few years back, "Blackacidevil".  Jerry Only and Doyle are the two members here that were part of the original (read = real) Misfits of the '70s/'80s when Danzig was in charge of vocals and the song writing.  Unfortunately, Only won the rights to the Misfits name and continues to use it.  The new band's 1997 debut album, "American Psycho" was actually pretty good IMO.  That is, as long as I didn't compare it with the classic tunes and kept in mind that the new band aren't really The Misfits.  "Famous Monsters" takes the cheese level to a whole new level, in a really bad way.  The Misfits have always been a bit cheesy and humorous at times, but the new band has really gone out of their way here to write trivial and boring songs.  Michale Graves is no Glenn Danzig, vocally or lyrically, period.  Danzig had a flair for writing silly yet cool songs about ghouls, vampires and monster flicks without taking himself too seriously ... Graves doesn't.  And musically?  More of the pseudo metal edged flavor that is found on "American Psycho" only this time the songs are seriously lacking in good hooks.  This is a band that's out of ideas and inspiration and just simply cashing in on the image and name.  If it weren't for the "Misfits" moniker and shtick, I imagine this album would go completely unnoticed.  Did I mention this sucks?  I never want to hear this again.  Do yourself a big favor, get the classic albums instead:  "Legacy of Brutality" (or better yet, "Static Age"), "Walk Among Us", "Earth A.D.", "Misfits" (aka "Collection") and "Collection II".  And get all the Samhain and Undead stuff too instead of this.  Glenn Danzig was the heart and soul of the Misfits and he had the good sense to move on, 13 years ago.  Hopefully Only and Doyle will figure that out someday too ...

The Misfits

Where did I get this cd? - a local Best Buy

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