In 1982 horror punk godfathers The Misfits put out their debut album (though it was the third to be recorded after 1977's Static Age (which didn't get released until 1995) and 12 Hits From Hell). This was the world's first real taste in a widespread way of what this band could really do. Unfortunately a year later The Misfits would disband until former members reunited with a new singer Michale Graves in 1995 and then finally in 2016 original singer and band leader Glenn Danzig.
What makes Walk Among Us special is that at the time while it fit sound-wise into the punk aesthetic, it followed almost none of the other conventions. There were no political statement songs, no social commentary, etc. It was just straight up entertainment, albeit in a rather macabre way. The songs have that low def raw edge driving punk sound while at the same time having the kind of catchy fun melodies that you often heard out of rock n' roll songs from the 50's and 60's. It's kind of a strange combination, but it works beautifully. Naturally all of the lyrics are rather dark (It's Danzig, go figure) with themes ranging from murder to vampires to zombies to sci-fi, and beyond.
I Turned into a Martian is by far my favorite Misfits song of all time. The lyrics are incredibly depressing. The meaning behind them is widely debated, but the most commonly brought up topics are puberty and the Ray Bradbury story Dark They Were and Golden Eyed. I personally lean more towards puberty or drug use, but don't discount the possibility of the Ray Bradbury story due to how much Danzig loves sci-fi and horror. Regardless, with its fun peppy melody and slashing chords it's hard to not crank this tune up and sing along. In some ways it creates a cognitive dissonance because the music is rather happy, but the lyrics are not so much.
As far as I can tell there isn't anything particularly profound about the lyrics to Skulls, but that makes it no less enjoyable. If you're into verbal imagery about hanging bloody bodies and skulls added to the decor of the home of a demon, then this is straight up your alley. With the driving feel of the song and the vocal melody though it's hard to not find this song oddly charming in its own way. Maybe that was Danzig's mission with the Misfits from the get-go?
Honestly, when I first got into the Misfits I never really thought I'd get into music with the kind of evil dark imagery the songs portray. However, with the other pleasing musical aspects of the music it didn't take too long before I was won over - especially with Walk Among Us. It combines all the best elements of rockabilly, punk, and classic horror and sci-fi. It's not an album for the squeamish or faint of heart, but if you have the stomach for it then you're in for a real treat.
Walk Among Us receives 4 out of 5 stars.
Track List:
1. 20 Eyes
2. I Turned into a Martian
3. All Hell Breaks Loose
4. Vampira
5. Nike A-Go-Go
6. Hate Breeders
7. Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight? (live)
8. Night of the Living Dead
9. Skulls
10. Violent World
11. Devil's Whorehouse
12. Astro Zombies
13. Braineaters
Buy the album on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Walk-Among-Us-Explicit-Misfits/dp/B00122TAFG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1473409477&sr=8-1&keywords=Misfits+Walk+Among+Us
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