THE COURIER NEWS, October 28, 1999
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  [transcribed by Rabid Doctor]

Misfits Are Rock Monsters
  by Robert Makin (staff writer)

     While they'll be in Chicago on Halloween, Misfits, New Jersey's favorite 
monster rock band, will be passing through the area on Nov. 4.
     Behind the group's new album, "Famous Monsters," Misfits will rock 
Electric Factory, 7th and Willow Streets, Philadelphia.
     After more than 20 years, the members of the ghoulish group still look 
like zombies on steroids and play tongue-in-cheek punk-metal ditties about 
vampires, monsters, and aliens. The title of the band's debut on the 
pioneering metal indie Roadrunner Records is taken from the 1970s monster
magazine, "Famous Monsters."
     "Frankenstein's monster and the wolfman never get played out," says 
bassist Jerry Only, who co-founded Misfits in 1977 with the band's former 
lead singer, Glenn Danzig. "That's one of the reasons we've stuck around as 
long as we have."
     With such creepy but fun songs as "Astro-Zombies," "Green Hell," and 
"Die Die My Darling," Misfits have had an enormous impact on such popular 
acts as Metallica and Rob Zombie.  Metallica helped to raise international 
awareness of the Lodi-originated band by wearing Misfits T-shirts on stage 
and releasing covers of several of the group's tunes.
     But for several years, Danzig and his same-named group got all the 
credit, because he wouldn't allow Only and his guitarist brother, Doyle Von 
Frankenstein, to operate as Misfits.  In 1995, a court granted the brothers 
the right to regroup, so they recruited vocalist Michale Graves and 
drummer Dr. Chud to flesh out Misfits.
     The 1997 disc, "American Psycho," the band's first outing in 14 years, 
was released on Geffen Records.  The record was a welcomed return, but such 
meaty tracks as the rockabilly rave "Scarecrow Man," the doo-wop influenced 
"Saturday Night," the authentic "Fiend Club," and the frightening fun of
"Scream," and "Living Hell," make "Famous Monsters" even better.
     "I'm really excited about this record," Only says. "I can listen to a 
song like 'Forbidden Zone' and put it right up there next to 'Astro-Zombies,' 
which is my favorite Misfits song of all time!  This record goes back to our 
roots. It's got the DNA of the old days and brings that into the future.
     In addition to a great new record, Misfits has a line of action figures 
available from 21st Century Toys.  The band can also be seen in the forthcoming horror film "Bruister" by "Night of the Living Dead" director George Romero.
Romero recently filmed the video for the group's latest single, "Scream."
     "Romero is the king of the zombies," Only says. "He has the ability to 
bring out fear and intensity and still have fun, which is exactly what Misfits 
are all about."

  
Danzig Returns
  by Robert Makin (staff writer)

     Misfits founder Glenn Danzig also has a new album, "6:66 Satan's Child" 
on Evilive Records.  The devilish disc will be in stores Tuesday or can be 
obtained at emaginemusic.com.  Danzig left Misfits in 1984 to form the group 
Samhain, which is the original wiccan name for Halloween.
     Samhain evolved into Danzig, which recorded for several years for the 
defunct Def American and American labels owned by producer Rick Rubin.  As 
eerie as ever, Danzig is forging ahead on his own label.