Michale Graves - 'The Lost Skeleton Returns' CD Review (x-Misfits)

Michale Graves’ newest disc, The Lost Skeleton Return, was released last month and this is the second disc that Graves funded through a successful Kickstarter campaign. This new disc is also Graves’ second release this year as he released the “rock/folk/pop” disc, Vagabond, in late February. I found Vagabond to be a mixed bag, as much of Graves’ recent output has been, but The Lost Skeleton Returns is a nice return to the sound of The Misfits, Gotham Road and Graves’ early solo work.

The Lost Skeleton Returns is being billed as Graves’ “first anthology Monster Rock CD” and the disc contains new recordings of seven Misfits songs and three songs from Punk Rock is Dead (Graves’ last disc before going off to the Marine Corps) along with 6 brand new songs. A video for “Lost Skeleton” was included as a Kickstarter reward for certain pledge levels and the video was described as a “mini movie spectacle...shot in old school black and white...[with] a ‘low budget’ look and feel”. Videos have also been posted for "Zombie" and “Night of the Living Dead”, both of which feature horror hostess Skel-pira.





The Lost Skeleton Returns Track List
· Lost Skeleton (new)
· American Psycho (originally recorded for The Misfits’ American Psycho)
· Forbidden Planet (new - featuring Chris Motionless, from Motionless in White)
· Dig up Her Bones (originally recorded for The Misfits’ American Psycho)
· Dawn of The Dead (originally recorded for Michale Graves’ Punk Rock is Dead)
· Scream (originally recorded for The Misfits’ Famous Monsters)
· Crying on Saturday Night (originally recorded for The Misfits’ Famous Monsters)
· Die Monster Die (originally recorded for The Misfits’ Famous Monsters)
· Fiend Without A Face (originally recorded for The Misfits’ Cuts from the Crypt)
· Godzilla (originally recorded for Michale Graves’ Punk Rock is Dead)
· Fiend Club (originally recorded for The Misfits’ Famous Monsters)
· Earth Vs. Spider (originally recorded for Michale Graves’ Punk Rock is Dead)
· Zombie (new )
· Night of the Living Dead (new)
· Last Man on Earth (new)
· Something Wicked (new)

Graves’ new cuts are all stylistically similar to his work with The Misfits – all of the songs have big hooks, anthemic, sing-along chorus and Graves’ distinctive vocals are a centerpiece. While the songs on The Misfits’ discs with Graves are credited to all members, it seems pretty obvious that Graves had a major role in the songwriting. As a (sad) point of comparison, Jerry Only butchers a handful of songs from this disc on The Misfits’ Dead Alive! disc so one can quickly hear how much Michale’s vocals are an integral part of these songs.

Michale has been playing a few one-off shows over the last few months but has posted to Facebook that “the lost skeleton returns on tour...in October!”. At a show earlier this year, Michale’s touring band was Johnny B. Morbid on bass, Tony “Bones” Baptist on drums and Emilio Menze on guitar.



Links:
Michale Graves

Misfits - "Devil's Rain" CD Review (Misfit Records) / Halloween Show at B.B. King's

The good news is that Devil's Rain isn't as bad as I feared, given that Jerry Only is the only original member. It is also infinitely better than that Project 1950, which seemed to be a "The Groovy Ghoulies" [the cartoon, not the band] take on doo-wop songs. The bad news is that this new disc has more in common with Project 1950 than either the Graves or Danzig eras and it also sags in the middle as the songwriting doesn't hold up to the disc's 50 minute run-time.

For anyone who hasn't kept up with The Misfits in recent years, Robo has bowed out of the band and the current line-up is Jerry (bass), Dez (guitar) and Eric "Goat" Arce (x-Murphy's Law, Skarhead) on drums. The band kicked off a Fall tour in September and the current set list contains 14 of Devil's Rain's 16 songs:

(from October 4th show at House of Blues, Hollywood)
The Devil's Rain
Vivid Red
Land Of The Dead
The Black Hole
Twilight Of The Dead
Curse of the Mummy's Hand
Cold In Hell
Unexplained
Dark Shadows
Father
Jack The Ripper
Static Age
Bullet
Children in Heat
Nike A Go Go
She
Abominable Dr. Phibes
American Psycho
Shining
Dig Up Her Bones
Scream!
Ghost of Frankenstein
Death Ray
The Monkey's Paw
Halloween
Skulls
Where Eagles Dare
Hatebreeders
We Bite
Death Comes Ripping
Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?
All Hell Breaks Loose
We Are 138

Encore:
Descending Angel
Hybrid Moments
Attitude
Die, Die My Darling

It has been years since I've heard 1997's Violent World: A Tribute to the Misfits but I imagine Devil's Rain sounds like something that Pennywise, The Bouncing Souls, NOFX and Goldfinger (who all contributed songs to Violent World) would have come up with if they had been asked to write a Misfits-style song. Producer Ed Stasium gives the disc a high-gloss shine which leaves this current lineup of the Misfits sounding like a cross between Bad Religion or Pennywise and some of the bouncy "second stage" bands from any year of Warped Tour.



Lyrically, Jerry mines the expected b-movie horror themes with songs like "Monkey's Paw", "Jack the Ripper" and "Ghost of Frankenstein". The lyrics aren't deep (and sometimes repetitive) but one can't hold that against Jerry as "138" and "Where Eagles Dare" from the Danzig-era of the band aren't any better. When the band is "on" (with songs like "Land of the Dead", "Dark Shadows" and "Monkey's Paw"), their brand of power-punk sounds great. The two songs that Dez sings ("Jack the Ripper" and "Death Ray") mix things up with a bit of old-school punk teeth. The problem is that the middle of the disc sags into a bland mix of horror-punk.

The Misfits are playing their annual Halloween show at B.B. King's with JuiceheaD (who record for Jerry's Misfits Records) opening. The show is all ages and tickets for the show are $28 in advance and $32 DOS.

Links:
The Misfits

Michale Graves Plays Club Europa on Dec. 17th // Return to Earth CD Review

Michale Graves originally released the second disc, Return to Earth, under his own name in 2006 and this disc was recently picked up for distribution through MVD Entertainment. I haven’t seen Michale play live since a show a number of years back at L’Amour (which I think was a Web of Dharma show) and then I lost track of him musically after Gotham Road went on hiatus. The only point to mentioning all of this is that I dropped on Return to Earth expecting Michale Graves' solo release to sound like The Misfits as both Web of Dharma and Gotham Road weren’t that far removed.

As compared to Michale Graves’ past work, Return to Earth is somewhat of a mixed bag. On past releases, Graves’ distinctive voice was the centerpiece and most of the songs were melodic, sing-along horror punk. The horror movie themes have stayed but this is much more of a (alt-)rock album than his past work so there is a minimal amount of group vocal melodies and some songs even push Graves’ vocals down to an equal level with the guitars.

"We Wait" and "Our Moment Away" capture the classic Graves sound of the past but the disc makes a number of stylistic jumps. "Creepy Crawl" and "Dead Beat" both sound like they came out of the Seattle grunge era, "Nobody Thinks About Me" is stylistically close to a Nirvana tune and "Return to Earth" is a multi-tracked piano ballad. The disc ends with the introspective tune "Butchershop" which showcases Michale's vocals. While Michale's stylistic jumps can be somewhat disconcerting, he has a lot more vocal prowess than I've ever given him credit for. Return to Earth is a solid release but a little more musical consistency will go a long way toward increasing the staying power of future releases.

Michale Graves is playing Club Europa this Friday, Dec. 17th, with Cryptkeeper 5 and Ignite Violet. Tickets are $10 and doors are at 7PM.

Links:
Michale Graves

Danzig - "Deth Red Sabaoth" CD Review

"The 11-track collection, penned by Danzig, is laced with Glenn's lycanthropic growls and blues-infected wailing. Tracks including "Black Candy," "The Revengeful," and the first single, "On A Wicked Night," emit a spectral glow to rival the highest points in Danzig's colossal discography. Part 1 of the exquisite two-part "Pyre of Souls" opens with acoustic guitar, haunting piano, Glenn's plainsong vocal, and an almost dirge-like feel; Part II explodes with electric guitars and a driving, mesmerizing cadence."

This new disc is being called Danzig's return to classic form and, while I have some reservations with this claim, Deth Red Sabaoth is the closest he has come in years to (re)capturing the sound of his first four discs.

Deth Red Sabaoth is what you would expect from a Danzig album – a dark and brooding disc with a mix of anthems with hooky choruses and world-weary blues songs. Danzig’s vocals are clear, strong and, aside for the occasional guitar squall, Tommy Victor’s guitar sounds remarkable like that of John Christ. The overall disc doesn’t quite have the hooks of Danzig’s early work but it is mature release that shows Danizg moving in a Jim Morrison/Johnny Cash direction.

"I think that fans will really dig this new album," said Glenn. "I've been told several times that the album has a cool vitality to it, it sounds energized, and I got that feeling when I was recording it. I wanted it to have an organic sound, bigger and thicker, so I went out and bought some 1970's Kustom tuck 'n roll bass amps to play some of the guitar parts through. You'll hear real reverb, real tremolo on this album, which sounds completely different than the stuff that's done with computer chips."

The instrumental interlude of “Incanticle” (which sounds like a return to Black Aria) which leads into the grinding “Seasons of Pain”, the pounding drums of “Black Candy” (I’m intentionally ignoring the silly lyrics), “Death Red Moon” and southern gothic rock vibe of “Ju Ju Bone” are some of the standout tracks. The stylistical jumps may be somewhat disconcerting to the listener but this is still a solid body of work.

Here is a live video for “On a Wicked Night”, which is the album’s first single:



It is great to see Danzig moving into the new decade with such a solid album. Danzig just finished a limited run of tour dates and will be back on the road this Fall for the 2010 edition of the Blackest of the Black tour.

Links:
Danzig
The End Records

Danzig to Release "Deth Red Sabaoth" in June - First New Studio Disc in Six Years

It should be interesting to hear what Danzig is up to these days. The last two Danzig releases seemed to be a return to form but it has been six years since the last studio disc so a lot could have changed. Danzig has a new lineup [Steve Zing (Samhain), Tommy Victor (Prong) and Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative) ] this time around so I'm looking forward to hearing what the new band sounds like.
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The charismatic and complex singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig is set to unleash his first new Danzig studio album in six years. Deth Red Sabaoth, produced by Glenn and recorded in Los Angeles over the course of 2009, will be released on June 22, 2010 (Evilive/The End Records).

The 11-track collection, penned by Danzig, is laced with Glenn's lycanthropic growls and blues-infected wailing. Tracks including "Black Candy," "The Revengeful," and the first single, "On A Wicked Night," emit a spectral glow to rival the highest points in Danzig's colossal discography. Part 1 of the exquisite two-part "Pyre of Souls" opens with acoustic guitar, haunting piano, Glenn's plainsong vocal, and an almost dirge-like feel; Part II explodes with electric guitars and a driving, mesmerizing cadence.

"I think that fans will really dig this new album," said Glenn. "I've been told several times that the album has a cool vitality to it, it sounds energized, and I got that feeling when I was recording it. I wanted it to have an organic sound, bigger and thicker, so I went out and bought some 1970's Kustom tuck 'n roll bass amps to play some of the guitar parts through. You'll hear real reverb, real tremolo on this album, which sounds completely different than the stuff that's done with computer chips."

Joining Glenn in the studio for the recording of Deth Red Sabaoth were guitarist Tommy Victor (Prong, Ministry), a Danzig cohort on and off since 1997, and drummer Johnny Kelly (Type O Negative, Seventh Void). While Kelly has toured with Glenn intermittently since 2002, this is the first time he has recorded with the band. Glenn handled the bass chores for most of the album, and played drums on "Black Candy."

As is with all of Danzig's releases, the CD cover artwork for Deth Red Sabaoth is provocative and ominous. The cover is an original piece created specifically for the CD by the award-winning artist Joe Chiodo whose work has graced not only Danzig's Verotik publishing line, but the covers of numerous graphic novels and comic books, including "X-Men Unlimited." Deth Red Sabaoth isn't the first time one of Chiodo's paintings has been part of a Danzig package - one of his erotic "good girl" pinups was part of 2007's The Lost Tracks of Danzig.

Deth Red Sabaoth marks Danzig's ninth studio venture that began back in 1988 with the Rick Rubin-produced, Platinum-certified, Danzig. A live version of his oedipal projectile "Mother," was a major hit, and added to his iconic status that began a decade earlier when he founded the near-mythic punk band Misfits and then Samhain. Sales of ten-million albums later and having been dubbed "goth-punk's godfather" by SPIN, Glenn Danzig is arguably the most versatile talent to emerge from hardcore's first wave, and truly is a renaissance man - a graphic designer, photographer, comic book publisher and composer. His venture into composing and recording classical music yielded Black Aria, that debuted at #1 on Billboard's Classical charts, and Black Aria II, that had Glenn sharing the Billboard/Classical's Top Ten with Itzhak Perlman and Andrea Bocelli. His indelible stamp is on artists like Marilyn Manson and Nine Inch Nails, and he has written songs that have been sung by a diverse array of artists, from Metallica to Johnny Cash.

Over his decades-long career, Glenn Danzig's intense musical and lyrical statements have left a permanent mark on rock music, and continue to do so going into the 21st century. Glenn's song "13," originally written for Johnny Cash and then recorded for Glenn's own Satan's Child album, was the opening song in last year's box office smash and Golden Globe winner, "The Hangover."

Danzig - Glenn, guitarist Tommy Victor, drummer Johnny Kelly and bassist Steve Zing - also a founding member of Samhain with Glenn - plan to tour extensively to support Deth Red Sabaoth; dates will be announced shortly.

Links:
Danzig
The End Records

Marky Ramone's New Band "Blitzkrieg" Plays Maxwell's on March 27th

I wasn't a fan of the last/current lineup of The Misfits as it just seemed so cliche to hear Jerry (who has a terrible voice) sing Ramones and Misfits songs. Marky has avoided this 'lead vocalist' problem by recruiting Michale Graves (Misfits, Gotham Road, Graves) and Blitzkreig also includes Alex and Clare from the UK glam-punk band AntiProduct.

Michale has a phenomenal voice and should be able to do justice to Joey's vocals. Alex and Clare also have established chops playing the Ramones songbook as AntiProduct have played all-Ramones sets and Clare is part of The Ramonas, an all-girl Ramones tribute band.

Here is a live video of Blitzkrieg playing "Rockaway Beach"


The show at Maxwell's is Blitzkrieg's only NYC-area show. Tickets are $15 and old-school melodic punkers The Fiendz and Ape Fight are also on the bill.

Links:
Marky Ramone's Blitzkrieg

The Misfits Play B.B. King's on Halloween

My first thought when I saw this show announced was "who cares? The Misfits' last gasp was with Michale Graves." I just can't see paying $30 to see Jerry, Robo and Dez sing the Misfits songbook. Seeing Dez sing "Damaged" era Black Flag was fun in the past but I have 'been there and done that'. As for The Misfits' songs, Jerry simply has a terrible voice.

Here is where it gets interesting...according to Wikipedia it has been loosely confirmed that Michale Graves and Doyle will be returning for the 2007/2008 studio album. Dez Cadena has stated that two guitars will be featured on the new album, thus implying Doyle will be playing on the new album, although no real concrete evidence exists to back up this claim. A rumored title for the new record as been "The Return of the Fiend". Jerry Only has not yet commented on the status of the album. However, Michale Graves was quoted to say, "There are other projects also in the works that are very hush-hush. News that will blow your mind, but has to be kept under-wraps for now. Let’s just say the end of this year will be a big one for Graves fans."

It will be very interesting to see who the special guests are for the Halloween show. Don't hold your breath though that it is Doyle and Graves -- it may just be Franche Coma.

Links:
Misfits' Website

Marky Ramone and Osaka Popstar Release Christmas Single

Marky Ramone and Osaka Popstar have just released a new Christmas single entitled The Christmas That Almost Wasn't. This is the theme to a 60s b-movie with the same name. (This is one of those movies that was supposed to be family-oriented and heart warming but it is so bad that it's quite funny. Here is a link to a dead-on review of the film.) As bad as the movie is, Osaka Popstar's single is great. This single is also on Osaka Popstar's full-length CD Osaka Popstar & The American Legends Of Punk.

Osaka Popstar is Marky Ramone, John Cafiero, Ivan Julian, Dez Cadena and Jerry Only.