Support NeoGAF

[Killer Queen]

I don't know how large the fanbase for the band is here since they're past their prime and haven't really been popular for a while except when there was a fad to wear their clothes like Nirvana. But I started listening to them a few days ago after they released their latest EP 'Friday the 13th' and checked out a few of their albums. Both Danzig and post Danzig starting with "Walk among us", "Earth A.D & Wolfsblood", "Legacy of Brutality", "Static Age" then "American Psycho" and "Famous Monsters" and then ending with the "Friday the 13th" EP. So a bit from each era but largely ignoring the Jerry Only era. I picked the albums above (aside from the most recent obviously) based on popularity and after reading a bit about how fans felt about each era I noticed that plenty of fans seemingly hate the post Danzig era, and while Danzig is a good writer and great vocalist, I think Michael Graves was too. Musically and lyrically, not much changed in the Danzig to graves transition, the only major differences I noticed is that they were less punk and Graves' was maybe a more traditional singer so their songs came out more pop-ish, especially on famous monsters but I think that really helped highlight just how messed up and off some of the material was.

Spoiler

which Is kinda why I love it

. The songs 'Saturday Night' and 'Helena' in particular where the former he sings a kind of poppy love song about being sad because he misses the girlfriend he killed and the latter being similar in style about dismembering a girl he loves until it breaks into a more traditionally punk middle. But the Danzig era had songs like this too, even on "Walk Among Us" so I'm not really sure why some seem to violently hate everything after Danzig, is it his voice? Fanboyism? I don't really get it.

 

[Reverend Funk]

I don't hate them, but to me danzig is the misfits. I like saturday night though.

 

[Killer Queen]

I don't hate them, but to me danzig is the misfits. I like saturday night though.

Is it just like a personal preference thing or do you feel like maybe their later stuff is lesser? If so why? I'm not trying to discourage your opinion or anything I'm just really curious.

 

[saunderez]

I wouldn't call myself a Misfits fanboy or anything but I've listened to much of both the new and old stuff and love Famous Monsters. You're right about it being poppier - but I think that made it much catchier too.

 

[Killer Queen]

I wouldn't call myself a Misfits fanboy or anything but I've listened to much of both the new and old stuff and love Famous Monsters. You're right about it being poppier - but I think that made it much catchier too.

I'd say give their latest EP a spin and see how you like it, the title track to me seems like it could've been on Famous Monsters and overall it isn't bad. Jerry only is no graves or Danzig but he does a decent enough job.

 

[Brian_FETO]

If you showed them to someone unfamiliar to the band they would think it was two different bands (because it is). They have different sounds. Just so happen to be punk with spooky lyrics

Similarly, my favorite band is Napalm Death in 1987-1989 (specifically From Enslavement To Obliteration). They had lineup changes after that album and changed styles, I couldn't give a fuck about anything they released after

OG Misfits was all Danzig and it shows (Samhain is the evolution of that sound). Misfits 95 was more of a collaborative effort, Graves did a lot of the songwriting but he wasn't just showing up to practice telling people what to play

Stoked to feel the legal tension live between Glenn and Jerry in two short months

 

[Horseticuffs]

You know, as I've gotten older I've grown to appreciate and eventually love the post-Glenn stuff. It's just not so serious and a lot more fun.


It's the same principal as with which is better; Night of the Living Dead or Return of the Living Dead. Night is objectively the better film, BUT, I'll watch Return waaaaay before I watch Night because it's just a damned good time.


Edit: I have both a Crimson Ghost and a Friday the 13th tattoo since both things are very dear to me. I was on the toilet surfing Instagram when someone I follow posted about the new EP, which I'd never heard about because I'm old and lame I guess. Anyways, two my favorite things coming together? I bought it immediately, right there on the spot.

It's really good. Maybe not like "This shit will be passed down through songs and fables long after mankind enters a new dark age" good, but it's a fun twenty minutes or so. It even has a song about Nightmare on Elm Street! Laser Eyes ain't half bad either.

 

[olympia]

famous monsters is one of my shitty guilty pleasure albums. pleading guilty to blasting dust to dust from time to time even though it's fucking corny

we turn to duuuuuustttt

 

[Killer Queen]

If you showed them to someone unfamiliar to the band they would think it was two different bands (because it is). They have different sounds. Just so happen to be punk with spooky lyrics

Similarly, my favorite band is Napalm Death in 1987-1989 (specifically From Enslavement To Obliteration). They had lineup changes after that album and changed styles, I couldn't give a fuck about anything they released after

OG Misfits was all Danzig and it shows (Samhain is the evolution of that sound). Misfits 95 was more of a collaborative effort, Graves did a lot of the songwriting but he wasn't just showing up to practice telling people what to play

Stoked to feel the legal tension live between Glenn and Jerry in two short months

I dunno, I like Samhain (or at least when they officially became Danzig) but I feel like American Psycho and Famous Monsters are closer to Misfits than Danzig's solo work, though both are equally good.

famous monsters is one of my shitty guilty pleasure albums. pleading guilty to blasting dust to dust from time to time even though it's fucking corny

we turn to duuuuuustttt

Absolutely no shame there dude, I've honestly been rocking famous monsters practically all day since I started listening to it. Dust to Dust is another one of my favorites.

You know, as I've gotten older I've grown to appreciate and eventually love the post-Glenn stuff. It's just not so serious and a lot more fun.


It's the same principal as with which is better; Night of the Living Dead or Return of the Living Dead. Night is objectively the better film, BUT, I'll watch Return waaaaay before I watch Night because it's just a damned good time.


Edit: I have both a Crimson Ghost and a Friday the 13th tattoo since both things are very dear to me. I was on the toilet surfing Instagram when someone I follow posted about the new EP, which I'd never heard about because I'm old and lame I guess. Anyways, two my favorite things coming together? I bought it immediately, right there on the spot.

It's really good. Maybe not like "This shit will be passed down through songs and fables long after mankind enters a new dark age" good, but it's a fun twenty minutes or so. It even has a song about Nightmare on Elm Street! Laser Eyes ain't half bad either.

Yeah, I think the EP is actually pretty good, I hope they move more in that direction if they ever make a new album, hopefully with some past members too.

 

[brinstar]

The Danzig stuff is classic, but personally I prefer the Graves-era stuff.

I can't stand the Only stuff though... I tried listening to The Devil's Rain and couldn't even finish it.

Similarly, my favorite band is Napalm Death in 1987-1989 (specifically From Enslavement To Obliteration). They had lineup changes after that album and changed styles, I couldn't give a fuck about anything they released after

I've quietly wondered seeing your username around if it was an ND reference, haha. The Mentally Murdered EP is one of my alltime favorite records.

 

[Slime]

Graves Misfits was basically just Jerry and Doyle's Christian metal band but with lyrics about horror movies. Entirely different band and sound.

Post-Graves Misfits is unlistenable garbage. At least on American Psycho and Famous Monsters you had Michale's unique voice and Doyle's riffs. Jerry cannot sing or write for shit.

 

[Brian_FETO]

I dunno, I like Samhain (or at least when they officially became Danzig) but I feel like American Psycho and Famous Monsters are closer to Misfits than Danzig's solo work, though both are equally good.

American Psycho is a bit closer but Famous Monsters has nothing in common with the classic albums. Famous Monsters is the better album of the two but only due to them fully coming into their own stylistically. American Psycho was heavily influenced by Jerry and Doyle's failed Kryst The Conqueror project, with both albums having a more metallic guitar-driven sound

The unique style and sound Doyle is now known for (and helped define the 95 era) is nonexistent in the old material

Samhain's Initium directly draws from elements of Danzig's songwriting in the Misfits but pushes it out of the simplistic verse/chorus format and went for a darker sound with more atmosphere and experimentation.

I've quietly wondered seeing your username around if it was an ND reference, haha. The Mentally Murdered EP is one of my alltime favorite records.

Haha, cheers!

 

[_Clash_]

For mine, they were more glam than garage.

Poppy metal numbers than channeled Iron Maiden with some references to horror.

 

[eddievanclaylen]

Danzig 2 Lucifuge is one of my all time faves

 

[thelooseteeth]

Same reason Queen lost all traction after Freddie. The front man is the band. It happened to the Doors.

 

[Marvie_3]

I love the Graves era Misfits. Graves' voice is fucking perfect for the music they were putting out at the time.

Doesnt touch the Danzig era though. Everything since Graves left is just garbage.

 

[Killer Queen]

Graves Misfits was basically just Jerry and Doyle's Christian metal band but with lyrics about horror movies. Entirely different band and sound.

Post-Graves Misfits is unlistenable garbage. At least on American Psycho and Famous Monsters you had Michale's unique voice and Doyle's riffs. Jerry cannot sing or write for shit.

I've largely avoided Only's stuff because I've heard it might actually be pretty bad, but like I've said before his Friday the 13th stuff isn't half bad, it's a lot closer to Graves on Famous Monsters than anything else I've listened to. But of course he's still no Graves.

For mine, they were more glam than garage.

Poppy metal numbers than channeled Iron Maiden with some references to horror.

This i won't disagree with and its a pretty fair criticism, so if that's the reason a lot of people dropped off I can understand, maybe not glam per say, but it's definitely a lot more refined than what Danzig was putting out

Same reason Queen lost all traction after Freddie. The front man is the band. It happened to the Doors.

I wouldn't exactly agree with this. It's true in some cases but not all. A lot of people liked the Doors for their music along with Jim Morrison's vocal style and lyrics, and i don't think they'd be nearly as successful had they had just one. Jim without the doors wouldn't have been much and the doors without jim wouldn't be much. In the case of the Misfits though, for the transition from Danzig to Graves I think vocally and lyrically (if he really did write the lyrics) he was a good and competent replacement for Danzig, the band lost some of what Danzig brought to the table but I wouldn't agree all was lost because Danzig left though.

American Psycho is a bit closer but Famous Monsters has nothing in common with the classic albums. Famous Monsters is the better album of the two but only due to them fully coming into their own stylistically. American Psycho was heavily influenced by Jerry and Doyle's failed Kryst The Conqueror project, with both albums having a more metallic guitar-driven sound

The unique style and sound Doyle is now known for (and helped define the 95 era) is nonexistent in the old material

Samhain's Initium directly draws from elements of Danzig's songwriting in the Misfits but pushes it out of the simplistic verse/chorus format and went for a darker sound with more atmosphere and experimentation.


Haha, cheers!

I dunno I agree with that, although I agree that the guitar work is largely different between both eras, I feel like songs like Vampira, Night of the living dead, Skulls and Some kinda hate, Theme for a Jackal, angelfuck would fit fine on Famous Monsters had the guitarwork been more riff centered and obviously sung by Graves. I feel like Scarecrow man and Theme for a Jackal are especially similar actually and pull from the same jazzy musical background. But I'll definitely check out more of Samhain's work.

 

[Vigilant Walrus]

This absolutely slays me; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0r8U6BiYk


whoooooooooooOOOOOOOooooooooooooo

 

[Killer Queen]

This absolutely slays me; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HI0r8U6BiYk


whoooooooooooOOOOOOOooooooooooooo

I... don't know how I feel about this.

Spoiler

but thank you for showing me

 

[KRod-57]

I don't know how large the fanbase for the band is here since they're past their prime and haven't really been popular for a while except when there was a fad to wear their clothes like Nirvana. But I started listening to them a few days ago after they released their latest EP 'Friday the 13th' and checked out a few of their albums. Both Danzig and post Danzig starting with "Walk among us", "Earth A.D & Wolfsblood", "Legacy of Brutality", "Static Age" then "American Psycho" and "Famous Monsters" and then ending with the "Friday the 13th" EP. So a bit from each era but largely ignoring the Jerry Only era. I picked the albums above (aside from the most recent obviously) based on popularity and after reading a bit about how fans felt about each era I noticed that plenty of fans seemingly hate the post Danzig era, and while Danzig is a good writer and great vocalist, I think Michael Graves was too. Musically and lyrically, not much changed in the Danzig to graves transition, the only major differences I noticed is that they were less punk and Graves' was maybe a more traditional singer so their songs came out more pop-ish, especially on famous monsters but I think that really helped highlight just how messed up and off some of the material was.

Spoiler

which Is kinda why I love it

. The songs 'Saturday Night' and 'Helena' in particular where the former he sings a kind of poppy love song about being sad because he misses the girlfriend he killed and the latter being similar in style about dismembering a girl he loves until it breaks into a more traditionally punk middle. But the Danzig era had songs like this too, even on "Walk Among Us" so I'm not really sure why some seem to violently hate everything after Danzig, is it his voice? Fanboyism? I don't really get it.

There's the style differences which you named (one being less punk and kind of pop-ish) but there's also a conflict over the band's identity

Glenn Danzig pretty much created The Misfits, he named the band himself and recruited the other members. Having the band go on without Danzig just doesn't seem right.. they're using a name he created to continue a band that he formed.

It's kind of like how some die hard Van Halen fans don't like the Sammy Hagar era, and only consider the David Lee Roth era to be the "true" Van Halen.. it is kind of like that, but x10.. because obviously the name of the band isn't Jerry Only, and Jerry Only himself didn't form the band.. Jerry was in fact recruited by Glenn Danzig himself

In fact, there was a legal dispute between Danzig and Only, because Only was not supposed to use the Misfits name without specifying who was in the band. Fortunately that legal dispute is resolved, and the two will be performing together again (for at least two shows anyway)

 

[Killer Queen]

There's the style differences which you named (one being less punk and kind of pop-ish) but there's also a conflict over the band's identity

Glenn Danzig pretty much created The Misfits, he named the band himself and recruited the other the other members. Having the band go on without Danzig just doesn't seem right.. they're using a name he created to continue a band that he formed.

It's kind of like how some die hard Van Halen fans don't like the Sammy Hagar era, and only consider the David Lee Roth era to be the "true" Van Halen.. it is kind of like that, but x10.. because obviously the name of the band isn't Jerry Only, and Jerry Only himself didn't form the band.. Jerry was in fact recruited by Glenn Danzig himself

In fact, there was a legal dispute between Danzig and Only, because Only was not supposed to use the Misfits name without specifying who was in the band. Fortunately that legal dispute is resolved, and the two will be performing together again (for at least two shows anyway)

This i can understand, it would kinda be like having Megadeth without Dave Mustaine. So I guess I can understand and sympathize whith people feel that Danzig is the Misfits.

They're basically not the same band. Danzig has a distinctive voice. And they didn't seem to be really trying to emulate the old Misfits sound, anyway.

I can see being a fan if you discovered them through the new stuff and went backwards, but it's hard to go the other way.

Danzig's distinctive vocals are a part of that, but his approach to songwriting in general really shows. I'm not a big fan of the stuff he did under Danzig, but the deathrock-y Samhain era, especially Initium, was pretty much an evolved version of the Misfits' sound. Whereas Jerry's 90's Misfits was basically a completely different band.

I didn't really go in any direction, I just kinda found the albums that were talked about the most and went through them in about a day, though I'm still giving some a few more listens and its not that I don't really see a difference between the two eras, I just don't personally feel that it's an overwhelmingly large shift in styles to the point where one is praised and the other is trash. Maybe after a few more listens I'll feel differently but so far the only things I feel are largely different are the approach to guitar work and the vocal styles, maybe some of the lyrical nuances but I feel like the subject matter is largely the same.

 

[wenis]

Not a fanboy, but just a fan of punk in general and I always felt they lost their edge after Glenn left. That edge is pretty damn important for a punk/horror.punk band.

That and Glenn was a damn fine singer.

 

[Killer Queen]

Familiarity with punk and metal probably has a lot to do with it, too. The Misfits were very much a product of their era, as were the second version. Despite their location, there's a ton of LA punk and deathrock from the same era that has a sense of continuity with the Danzig era that isn't there at all in the Jerry Only versions.

In the end it's a lot of power chords and B movie lyrics, but you can break down a lot of music to that point.

Not a fanboy, but just a fan of punk in general and I always felt they lost their edge after Glenn left. That edge is pretty damn important for a punk/horror.punk band.

That and Glenn was a damn fine singer.

I'm a huge fan of metal but I've never dived too far into punk so maybe you're right, but another thing I can agree with is that they definitely don't have the edge they used to with Danzig, especially on tracks like"Mommy can I go out and kill tonight?" That was completely gone on Famous Monsters so for the more Hardcore punk fan I can see why they'd not enjoy the later stuff as much as it progressively leaned more towards the softer rockier side of the Misfits and potentially alienating a part of their fanbase, though to consider it awful still confuses me when still some works between the Graves era and Danzig era share similarities. I think Descending Angels, Crimson Ghost and maybe Shining wouldve done well on Danzig's albums, Helena too possibly. So maybe my more metal background is why I lean slightly more towards Graves but I still think Danzig did some great work. I just don't really consider one largely better than the other but I am starting to understand some of the differences a bit more.

 

[Killer Queen]

One last thing: The Misfits broke up in 1983 and largely grew in reputation and popularity in the ensuing years. The first Jerry Only version didn't appear until 1995.

Try to imagine a favorite band of yours popping up with a new sound under those circumstances.

Huh , looking at it now they've actually got a pretty strange release schedule. They recorded two albums before walk among us, but I assumed they broke up in 93 not 83, but I guess with Danzig's solo work going on that wouldn't have made much sense.

But I guess what you're saying is, Post Danzig Misfits is kind of like Misfits Load/reload for some fans?

 

[Seraphis Cain]

I'm a big Danzig/Samhain/Misfits fan, and I still love Graves-era Misfits for what it is. As someone said earlier in the thread, it's just Kryst the Conqueror with lyrics about horror movies, and really that's fine. It's certainly not The Misfits, but it's still good. They have some really memorable stuff (Dr. Phibes Rises Again, Dead Kings Rise, Hell Night, Dust to Dust, Helena, etc).

Current Only-era Misfits, though...oof. Please stop, Jerry.

 

[HStallion]

Lets be honest, Glenn went downhill in a lot of ways after leaving the Misfits despite putting out some ok albums. His assholish nature also got the best of him but that's a whole other story, just don't bring a camera to his shows or else.

I don't mind the Graves era Misfits but man Danzig had such a great voice back in the day, he sounded like an evil Elvis at times and I loved it.

 

[teruterubozu]

I was just watching "I Am Thor" on Netflix and there's a part where he shows a letter from the Misfits (Jerry Only) asking him to be their new singer. LoL.

 

[fierrotlepou]

Because post-Danzig never had songs like this.

 

[Deleted member 47027]

Danzig 2 Lucifuge is one of my all time faves

Lucifuge is one of the more slept on albums of Danzig's and it is pretty much perfect. I absolutely love it, even against 3 and 4. 4 was also panned by a lot of people but I adored it.

 

[p0rl]

I love Graves-era. Saturday Night is a classic.

If you like Graves-era Misfits, try Silent Horror. Probably the best modern horror punk band I've heard.

 

[Olly88]

The stuff with Graves is alright in a catchy, poppy kind of way, but I rarely listen to any of it. Like others, have said, they're pretty much two different bands.

I absolutely love Danzig-era Misfits. Static Age is one of my favourite albums (as you can probably tell from my PSN name). I could listen to it on repeat over and over.

The Cough/Cool and She single is so good. Especially She.

 

[Sorcerer]

Glenn's songwriting in the Misfits was pretty brutal/twisted. "Bullet", "Mommy Can I go out and Kill Tonight". "Last Caress", come to mind, holy shit, the dude was not afraid to go all out.

It feels like after Glenn left the Misfits became more of a fun/good time band.

 

[HStallion]

Glenn's songwriting in the Misfits was pretty brutal/twisted. "Bullet", "Mommy Can I go out and Kill Tonight". "Last Caress", come to mind, holy shit, the dude was not afraid to go all out.

It feels like after Glenn left the Misfits became more of a fun/good time band.

He's a raging asshole these days. I like his music but the dude has some serious issues. He's looking and acting like a roided out version of Tommy Wiseau at this point.

 

[mattiewheels]

I only like the first couple years of their output, I can't really listen to them after they went full-on horror shlock. Static Age and Legacy of Brutality are so great.

 

[daviyoung]

ctrl-f "camp"

hmm

ctrl-f "kitsch"

hmmmmmm

 

[Matty77]

For me it's because I am a Danzig fan not a Misfits fan and without further exploring Danzig after hearing the first self titled album which led me to Samhain and the Misfits I probably would never have listened to them at all.