Lurking in the air since Jerry Only successfully won his legal battle against Danzig to create and tour under the veil of the Misfits name, that age old debate over whether the band’s varying incarnations can ever live up to what many deem ‘the glory days’ of the band rears its head once more. It’s a sad state of affairs when one of the most impacting bands on punk rock is affiliated more with their iconic logo from the past over their continuing run within music; but sadly, that is the case of The Misfits.
While history dictates certain eras of bands are their unsurpassable pinnacle – Guns N’ Roses circa ‘Appetite for Destruction’, for example – it’s naive to suggest that Danzig’s presence in the band signals the only eras worthy of consideration. Yes, there have been countless line-up alterations following his departure, but Only-fronted Misfits has seen its success of longevity without too much discredit; unlike the Guns N’ Roses counterpart.
Alongside Dez Cadena and Eric “Chupacarba” Arce, Only has released the first Misfits album in almost a decade; the first featuring the current trio together. ‘The Devil’s Rain’ has a lot of pressure on its shoulders as the seventh release; the world still waits for a Misfits record that fully solidifies their iconic status in the Only-era.
In a similar vein to previous records from the band, this is packed with references to various segments of science fiction and horror; the album title itself being named after a 1975 movie of the same name. While the opening number ‘The Devil’s Rain’ is notably slower to its higher paced successor ‘Vivid Red’, there’s an overall weakness apparent regardless of tempo. Sadly, that stays visible throughout in varying degrees.
While The Misfits clearly combine noticeable slants of both punk and metal, there’s a real lack of punch; the aggressive riffs being teamed with a real focus on melodies to create numbers that are just fine, few surpassing that okay quality. With a penchant for the fleeting sleek solo, the band push for limited highlights in guitar playing – something they maybe should have expanded to break up songs a little more. ‘Jack The Ripper’ and ‘Twilight of the Dead’ are prime examples of successfully breaking the song with a lengthier guitar flaunt.
The lyrics are really hit or miss; dare I say the opening to ‘Cold In Hell’ made me curl my toes in discomfort; ‘It’s cold in hell, they say... It’s cold in hell in this endless winter...” These lyrics are rendered problematic because they’ve taken a relatively upbeat and notably catchy backing and stolen the focus for ridiculous reasons. I’m not naive enough to say that The Misfits were ever the world’s most illustrious lyricists (‘I send my astro zombies to rape the land’, ‘When do citizens kneel for sex, it’s heaven cumming on her chest’), but this is noticeably basic. Once the lyrics stand out once for the wrong reasons, they become unavoidable: “Father, have I been cursed as a vampire?”
While this seems packed with overwhelming criticism, ‘The Devil’s Rain’ does have its positives. Some tracks are undeniably catchy at parts; some are just flat out good. ‘Where Do They Go?’ and ‘Sleepwalkin’’ are two of the standout tracks of the record, both featuring in the latter third of the record. The term ‘saving the best until last’ is often coined as a high compliment, but in the case of this record it’s one last, successful grasp at redemption. ‘Death Ray’ is the best track of the record, ending fifty or so minutes of uncertainty and occasional discomfort with a five minute dose of quality.
The issues are clear. Too many people compare the current suit of The Misfits to the days of Danzig; in reality, that is inescapable. It is undisputable that drawing these comparisons is irritable and unjust since they are, realistically, different bands of the same name. Yet, when their latest effort seems to be the weakest in the namesake’s catalogue, you can’t help but look back and compare.
‘The Devil’s Rain’ isn’t bad; it’s just far from great. Only’s vocals were far better suited to 2003’s release ‘Project 1950’ and they just seem far weaker on this record. The sixteen track offering has too many tracks that hit the middle ground and, sadly, even the fine string of triumphs at the tail end can’t justify the whole record as fantastic. Hopefully record number eight will return Jerry’s vocals to a more comfortably suited area.
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While history dictates certain eras of bands are their unsurpassable pinnacle – Guns N’ Roses circa ‘Appetite for Destruction’, for example – it’s naive to suggest that Danzig’s presence in the band signals the only eras worthy of consideration. Yes, there have been countless line-up alterations following his departure, but Only-fronted Misfits has seen its success of longevity without too much discredit; unlike the Guns N’ Roses counterpart.
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