Misfits Albums - The Birth Of Horror Punk Rock

Most of the Misfits albums are now categorized under horror punk rock. If this is a bit foreign to you, it may be because it is a sub genre of sorts of which this band is widely considered a pioneer of. The group's transition to its current enduring image however, was not a smooth or easy one.

The original band was the idea of Glenn Danzig who took the name from Marilyn Monroe's last movie. The band's first line up in 1977 was made up of Diane DiPiazza, Jimmy Battle and Manny Martinez. DiPiazza and Battle stayed only briefly and Jerry Caiafa, who is now more popularly known as Jerry Only, was recruited into the group. Only and Danzig are the only two members who stayed on with the band for long. To date, the group's member roster has registered a total of 17 members. The quick line up changes are a definite indication of the band's troubled history.

The band immediately started work on its first album Static Age on the same year of their founding. There were no record labels though willing to support the project. The band ended up releasing singles. It took two decades before Static Age could be released in full.

In 1978, the group began an image and style makeover that would eventually define the group for the rest of its career. Danzig began to craft more songs that were peppered by references to horror. Also, while performing on stage, band members began sporting horror themed appearances, the most pronounced of which is the devilock hair. From this time on, every succeeding Misfits album was put inside the horror punk box.

From 1978 to 1982, the band continued performing singles and recording tracks. It was however, only in 1982 when they managed to push out Walk Among US, the first full release that was in album form. On this same year, they launched their national tour. By 1983 however, the band was already in danger of taking the downward slope. Danzig lost interest and eventually announced the group's break up. He went on to found Samhain which focused on heavy metal. Only went off to establish his own band, Kryst the Conqueror which was a Christian heavy metal band.

The Misfits were far from really over though. Fresh support and comments were coming out that other rising acts liked their music. This gave Only the idea of resurrecting the band. This led to a sticky legal battle that pitted him and Doyle, another former band member, against Danzig. It was eventually agreed upon outside of court that Only and Doyle could perform as the Misfits and use its logo. Merchandising rights however is to be shared with Danzig. The original founder showed no desire to continue performing with his former band mates.

The band was officially reborn under the leadership of Only but it went through more line up issues. By 2001, Only was the only member left with no prospect for a new Misfit album. Presently however, the official line up listed for the band also includes Dez Cadena and Julio "Robo" Valencia. Their most recent work together is the single Land of the Dead released in 2009.