Misfits brave Devil's Night in Detroit

Lock your doors. The Misfits are back. "We're the band that just won't die," said Misfits bassist Jerry Only in a phone interview. And you should care.
The Misfits should be a big deal to you if you have any respect for punk. Formed in the East Coast punk scene of 1977, this seminal group came thrashing out of the New York CBGB club bearing a new interpretation of hard hitting punk which would influence countless metal and punk bands to follow. The band fused the goth vibes of groups such as Siouxsie and the Banshees and The Damned with an even catchier rawness of the blistering punk by the Ramones and Sex Pistols. Armed with the gore image inspired by classic B-movie horror flicks and macabre lyrics about death, sex and nightmares, Misfits made a killing on the punk generation. This ultimate Halloween band made the holiday a year-round experience.
But after only a few short years of putting out albums and touring the world, frontman Glenn Danzig parted ways to form his latter solo groups. This left Misfits on hiatus for 13 years due to certain legalities with Danzig. But the music's legendary image lasted in the form of the band's Crimson Ghost logo, as it smiled eerily from a whole population of punker's leather jackets and T-shirts. Misfits righteously became the grandfathers of horror rock, showing groups like Marilyn Manson and Rob Zombie where to pay their respects.
Now, years later, the band is back in action due to the resurgence of punk music's popularity. Misfits are still doing what they do best: singing timeless lyrics about classic horror films, playing powerfully heavy punk guitars and drums, and creeping out the masses with their scary image of black devil-locks and death skulls. This month Misfits released its second post-Glenn Danzig album, entitled "Famous Monsters," and with it, embarked on a national tour. The band will be coming to the Detroit's Harpos with the bands GWAR, Speed Dealer, and Voodoo Glow Skulls tomorrow - on Devil's Night.
Only, The Misfit's friendly and respectful bassist, explained much of what the band has to offer this time around, free from their well-known former frontman Danzig.
"We're really fired and expect to come into Detroit with a full head of steam," Only said with his New Jersey accent.
Only commented on how Detroit has always been considered a special place among the bandmembers.
"Detroit has always been the biggest market for us, even more so than New York. And Devil's Night is the night for the people of Detroit, its very aggressive and I know they go totally ballistic. But I hope it is a safe night for everyone.
"But I'm really happy with this show, it is probably one of the best Halloween shows in a long time. Gwar's show alone is the greatest show I've ever seen (on stage)," in reference to Gwar's hundreds of crazy props which spurt fake blood and other goo onto the audience.
"The main thing is the music and being true to the people. When we go out with Gwar we really get that team spirit," Only said of his friends in Gwar.
He explained that when Misfits hit the stage their delivery is like a "blitzkrieg attack," in that the bandmembers play an "unrelenting pursuit of songs, going from one right into another" with hardly a pause. He said that they will be playing about 40 songs in their approximately 70 minute set, considering most of their tunes average about two to three minutes apiece.
Only said that they will be mainly playing the new tunes on this tour, but will also break out some of the classic punk hits.
"We've got so many great new songs that we are cutting out many of our old reliable songs." But he did mention that they will still be playing old favorites in the set such as "Green Hell," "Die, Die, My Darling," and "Last Caress" (songs which were made even more well known by Metallica's cover versions of them on the "Garage Days Revisited" and "Garage Inc." albums).
"But by the next new album, we will probably try to phase out most of the old stuff and play all new stuff," he said, referring to the idea that they will not have to play any of the old songs that Danzig was known for. The new Misfits want to just rely on their newer tunes, which they are very proud of because Only feels they are putting more into the more up-to-date songwriting as a group and thus making better music than what they are known for historically.
"We got more experimental this time and we mixed it up a little more. We weren't afraid to show that we can do some different things, and I didn't let the market tell us we are supposed to sound like an old punk band. We're here to write good new songs that just continue to shoot straight from the hip, not holding any punches," Only said of how they are expanding on their established formula of fast-paced, straight-forward classic Misfits punk and going toward a heavier, more complex and higher quality music and lyrical style.
"It's about pushing and breaking new ground, to really get down and focus. We're up scaling," he said.
Only is especially happy with the recording's new sound quality, with a big guitar sound that was recorded thick and vividly, compared to their famous older albums which he thinks "were recorded like crap."
"It's a learning process. We have been doing this for 23 years and we are still learning new things," he said of the recording process.
"It's nice to still be a viable entity 20 years after we should have been long dead and buried. But the music was good and it survived. I'm a seasoned veteran, I come from a position of survival. It is great for us to come back and give another 40 or 50 great songs to keep under your belt and take into the next generation," Only said.
To read more about Misfits' new album, see the accompanying review article.
Look forward to Misfits not only infecting the airwaves, but also the big screen and toy stores. The band has appearances in the new upcoming action horror film "Bruiser" by classic horror film mogul George Romero (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Creepshow) and also the Insane Clown Posse's movie "Big Money Hustlas." 21st Century Toys also released a new line of Misfits action figures. Only even alluded to the possibility of the band's future participation in World Championship Wrestling.
These are just a few points of proof that Misfits' reign of terror which began over two decades ago will continue onward at a scary pace and further mold pop culture.
"We are a part of American society. Apple pie, baseball and Misfits!"
For more information on Misfits, access their web site at www.misfits.com.