Misfits - Walk Among Us (1982)
Misfits are a bit of a mixed bag. Some people will say they're a great band, and some people will say "they were great.. until [insert album]", and then a good majority of people will just have the reaction of "The skull shirts? I thought that was a fashion thing" in which case they are RIGHT because bassist/now-vocalist Jerry Only LOVES money!! Plant that skull on ANYTHING you possibly can and it'll sell like crazy!! Don't believe me?! Just LISTEN to some of the shitty stuff they put out later, like that God-forsaken Christmas EP they put out in 2013. Embarrassing. I legitimately feel so much embarrassment even from just typing that out, it's almost like -I- made it, but the only thing I've ever made is my life into a complete fucking mess.
But thankfully, in this era, lead by vocalist Glenn Danzig, what we have here is a catchy little selection of songs to drunkenly scream along to at 11 PM in a Walmart parking lot, and what a unique little charm they have! Hardcore punk music with Elvis-like vocals about cheesy 1950s movies and shit, I mean, just look at the album cover for God's sake, that's some "pay a dollar and see three films at the matinee" shit right there, and I love it! By the time the second track "I Turned Into a Martian" kicks in, if you're not ready to tattoo the Misfits logo on your arm, I will not accept oral sex from you unless you're really tricky about it and catch me while I'm reading a book or something, but what the hell are the chances of me doing that?!
There are more singalongs to be found here than an entire episode of The Wiggles, and are just as threatening, but they're best reserved for listening in short doses, such as on the day of Halloween to hype you up for something great, and to listen to while drinking when your friends end up ditching you. Almost like a "once a year" type of album, but it's a damn charming little one, from the opening wails of "20 Eyes" to the odd almost campfire-like singalong "Braineaters" and all of the energetic songs in between.
It's also pretty good for an example of "Hear this? Don't do this to our album or I'll castrate you" to show your band's producer because it sounds like it was recorded in a steel shed. That's punk, right? Or..? No, it's not laziness, it's PUNK, dad!! Shit, I had to reconfirm that with myself there for a second. Scary.
7/10
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Feel free to check out the song previews/buy this album using my Amazon Associate link!
