CoC : The Misfits - American Psycho : Review

The Misfits - _American Psycho_
(Geffen, 1997)
by: Zena Tsarfin (7 out of 10)

A lot of fans were ready to write off the Misfits as has-beens regrouping only to ride the current wave of comebacks and reunions. Signing with Geffen sure didn't help their indie credibility. Neither did recruiting 22-year-old singer Michael Graves - who admittedly never heard the band prior to auditioning for them - to replace legendary frontman Glenn Danzig. Surprisingly, the Misfits' first album in almost a decade isn't all that bad. After all, good old-school style punk albums (especially the major label variety) that aren't of the pop or ska lot are hard to come by these days--and that's exactly where _American Psycho_ steps in. Most of the quintessential Misfit-isms are present: B-horror movie lyrics, whoa-whoa sing-along choruses, and catchy three-chord riffs are all here. Songs like "Blacklight", "Speak of the Devil", and the title track are ghoulishly delightful, while "Day of the Dead" proves Graves can do almost as good an Elvis impression as Danzig. While Graves' youthful perspective adds some freshness to the Misfits - which includes (somewhat) original members guitarist Doyle, bassist Jerry Only and drummer Dr. Chud - the singer's underdeveloped charisma also hinders some of the songs' dynamics. In a couple of years, this boy will be dangerous.

(article published 16/10/1997)