Explore Horror Punk with the Misfits
A lot of rock bands don’t stay as they are when they began. In a lot of cases, established groups change members quickly. This is especially true for the Misfits which explains why the Misfits discography is peppered with different members.
Band Story
The Misfits has been around for quite some time. The original members came together in 1977 in New Jersey. At that time, Glenn Danzig took on the role of singer and songwriter. Band members included Manny Martinez on drums, Jimmy Battle on guitar and Diane DiPiazza on bass guitar. The next six years saw an extremely dynamic line up with band members coming and going. Glenn Danzig and Jerry Only were the only two members who consistently stayed on. The official band member count has been pegged at seventeen. Eight of these are drummers.
In 1983, group members decided to split. The band however, was brought back to life in 1995. This came only after a long legal tiff over whose right it was to use the name of the band. The legal battle wasn’t much of a surprise since the band did already make a name for itself in the rock and metal genres before it broke apart. Thus, it is to be expected that any group that inherits the Misfits name will have an edge over others.
Currently, the group members consist of lead vocalist bass guitarist Jerry Only, also known as Gerald Caifa; guitarist and backup vocalist Des Cedena and drummer Roberto “Robo” Valverde. The current new lineup is a testament to the band’s rocky past but music fans hope future changes will remain at a minimum and band posters don’t have to change much.
Albums Out
Many bands are considered posers and copycats. The Misfits however is accurately tagged as the pioneers of the death or horror punk genre. It should be obvious to anyone what this genre is all about. Although it has elements of punk rock, what is most noticeable about is its dark and scary imagery.
For more than three years, it is safe to say that the group has been hugely influential. Their influence is thanks to their productivity. To date, the group has six studio Misfits albums, twelve singles, five music videos, two live albums, four EPs, one box set and a lone DVD. Fans also like to add to this body of work one scrapped Misfits album.
To date, the group is credited with this list of releases:
• Walk Among Us- Static Age and 12 Hits From Hell were the first Misfits albums but this third one was the first release for the year 1982 • Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood- This was released at the end of 1983 and marked the last piece of work in which Glenn Danzig recorded with the group • American Psycho- The title was taken from the novel by Bret Easton Ellis and was released in 1997 • Static Age- This was recorded in 1978 but it took nearly two decades for it to finally come out in its entirety • Famous Monster- This 1999 album reminds fans of the kind of music for which Lady Gaga is now popular for • Project 1950- The title says it all as it features songs from the 50s
Despite its rocky history, the Misfits hasn’t paled. Fans continue to listen to the songs and buy the music merch of this band pioneer of horror punk.
