Punk Rock Retrospective: Misfits Earth A.D

In a recent interview conducted by The Onion's A.V. section, Glenn Danzig recounted his last album with his legendary band the Misfits, Earth A.D. Amongst other things, he declared it 'too violent.'

Yet the unsuspecting listener would most likely note 1983's Earth A.D. as the epitome of what became known as the unique take on punk rock that was the Misfits: thrashing guitars, splashing bass, seamless drumming, and the crooning of Danzig himself.

Earth A.D. is also a blunt mix of drudgery; it combines somewhat formulaic, yet rocking nonetheless, percussion with well-thought-out killer vocals. That could actually work with a hyphen too-- these are killer vocals, written to drive listeners into a frenzy!

Two songs particularly has this effect and, amongst all of the work released by the Misfits through the late seventies up until Earth A.D., both of which have numerous similarities (the aforementioned percussion) but unique differences. The first would have to be the title track, "Earth A.D." With lines like "You bet your life/ There's gonna be a fight! no punk rocker could go wrong. This song also remains one of the most rewarding Misfits tracks as well; Danzig's onomatopoeia (the use of sound in poetry) is surely rewarding with "boom" dropping amongst some of the heavier lines. Danzig also ties in the classic, campy horror classic "The Hills Have Eyes," although he does so subtly.

The second outstanding track on Earth A.D., which many should argue is one of the best-sounding of the simpler Misfits tracks, is "Hellhound." Sure, it's simple: "Got a hellhound dog/ That hellhound's gonna rip your face off/ Got a hellhound dog/
That hellhound's gonna tear right through." But it also manages to progress through one of the most evil Danzig discourses EVER.

"And I know that I might be dead/ Those who seek it out/ Those who stand a few/ Hell, hell of Satan's pack/ We are born of hate/ Both feet into hell/ Take another step/ Towards the bleeding light/ Those who seek it out/ Those who stand a few."

And then it explodes: "We are a part of it!" Definitely one of the Misfits' shining moments. And by shining, of course, I'm referring to the "bleeding light."

In short, the Misfits' Earth A.D. deserves a lot of respect, and not even within the confines of the punk rock arena. Rather, it should be on the shelves of anyone who bangs his or her head and, regardless of the evil connotations, just likes to have a good time. Plus, the album art is to die for!