Misfits - Famous Monsters

Awesome remake

There will never be a replacement for Danzig but this new Misfits is great. We get to have Danzig and the Misfits. August 23, 2008

"Resurrected" Misfits find their own sound

On this album the resurrected Misfits create an entirely unique sound without losing the energy that makes them great.

"Famous Monsters" is among my top 5 albums of all time, it finally sheds the sound of the old days and creates a cohesive, creepy atmosphere of terror.

This is a sonically perfect album, the production is just amazing.

Whereas some songs on "American Psycho" started to sound the same, every track on "Famous Monsters" is amazingly unique and really draws you into the story of the songs.

The standout tracks are: "Forbidden Zone", "Dust To Dust", "Scream",
"Saturday Night", "Descending Angel", "Them", "Fiend Club" & "Helena".

I wish this album had a secret track like "Hell Night" on American Psycho, because I really don't want the album to end. Although the discarded tracks "Devil Doll" and "1 Million Years B.C." can be found on "Killer Cuts from the Crypt" and they are great.

This was definitely the best era of the Misfits. Buy this album! April 25, 2008

Evil All Of The Time

I certainly don't wanna delve too deeply into the whole Danzig vs. Graves thingee, God knows enough people do that. Whatever camp you fall into, there's certainly no review out there that will sway you. Folks tend to be pretty unmovable on this subject. I will only briefly say that A). I've been a fan of the Misfits for many years now, through all the lineups and phases. I just love what they stand for. And B). I have a respect and appreciation for Jerry Only because he's one guy that Danzig couldn't totally control(what a feat!). Plus, he seems to be one of the few musicians to work with Danzig that didn't fall off the face of the planet after Danzig chewed him up and spit him out. He soldiered on regardless of bad press and having to live in Danzig's shadow. I admire that kind of determination considering once you work for Danzig it must be hell working your way out.
In the mid nineties when news of a Misfits regrouping started, I was scratching my head like everyone else thinking, "How the hell is this going to work??" I got American Psycho and found a different sounding band(but why should it sound exactly the same? It can't), but I enjoyed it nonetheless. After getting Famous Monsters shortly after it's release, I came to the conclusion that it's definitely the best of the post Danzig period. Fast, catchy and oozing with campy B horror imagery. It is easy to see why folks gripe about this "not being the same band". Well, it isn't. It's similar in style and image, but I feel it would have been a very bad move to simply hire a Danzig impersonator and try to copy exactly what was done years earlier(people would really have whined about that!). Phase 2 of the Misfits keeps some of the trademarks of classic days, but does change a few things. The production now is much clearer and crisper. There's a much bigger metal influence(moreso here than on American Psycho), making the band almost seem like a punk/thrash metal hybrid. Doyle even throws in a bit of soloing! The lyrics and image have been camped up much more, making it even more Halloween-like. In a way, it's almost a parody, but a fun one coz if you're like me you can't have enough B movie influence. Of course Danzig isn't writing the lyrics anymore, but lets face it, Misfits lyrics were always juvenile and not exactly thought provoking. How long could it really have taken Danzig to write Return of the Fly or Rat Fink? Phase 2 Misfits is just as brainless, and in their own way just as fun. With songs like Pumpkinhead, The Crawling Eye and Lost In Space, it's fun to chuckle at the absurdity of it all. It's especially fun if you're familiar with the movies to which they're referring, and about 95% of the songs here are in fact based on films. I suppose that's why the album is called Famous Monsters because it's like an audio version of the old Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine. Hell, even the cd artwork is done by Basil Gogos, who did the artwork for the magazine! I guess my only complaint about this era of the Misfits is the overabundance of merchandising. Jerry Only is quickly catching up to Gene Simmons in that department. Is there any item of clothing that you can purchase that can't be bought with the Misfits logo or skull? I also wish Doyle, CHUD and Graves had hung around for a little while longer. Truth be told, I'm not a huge fan of Phase 3 of the Misfits, but then again they really haven't released an album of original material yet. But regardless of where you stand, The Misfits have left a very interesting and influential legacy(of Brutality!). Hell, they started a whole new subgenre of punk rock. I can only hope that Famous Monsters stands the test of time and is someday looked upon as a high mark in the band's career. I listen to it often and never tire of it. Perfect for when you want to make any day feel like Halloween. March 28, 2008

Last gasp of a great American band

Now that we're nearly 10 years out from the release of this album, I can say it's one that has stood the test of time. While the Newfits never had a passion behind their lyrics as Danzig did, they had the licks and the ability to craft catchy, memorable songs.
You have to remember this album almost never happened. After the initial reunion tours in 1995 through 1997, The Misfits nearly collapsed several times due to internal squabbles, notably Michale Graves leaving the band for a short time in 1998. As horrible as everything eventually turned out for this band (Jerry Only turned into an ego maniac, Doyle was slowed by injury, Graves turned into a laughable Conservative punk), Famous Monsters managed to channel the goofy, comic book vibe that was missing from American Psycho.
January 1, 2008

Good CD

I know alot of people did not like this CD from the Misfits but I really like it. December 28, 2007

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