There was no doubt that the Misfits had earned their status as punk rock icons when their latest release, Dead Alive – featuring live material taken from two back-to-back concerts the band gave at the Starland Ballroom in 2011 – was released in February 2013. The album came just as the punk pioneers kicked off their 2013 American tour, a spirited series of shows that brought their classic, horror-influenced punk-metal to a whole new generation of ticket buyers. Bassist and frontman, Jerry Only, is at peak form in a concert setting, belting out fans' latter-day favorites, revealing the music's thrashing metal influence to its fullest effect. Never straying from the band's hard-driving, melodic sensibilities, the setlist delivers amped-up power, and the audience can't help but get revved up right along with it. Dead Alive reached No. 70 on the Billboard Top 200, and it showcases an intense atmosphere, as the band proves that even after all these years, the Misfits can still deliver the goods.
Emerging in 1977, the Misfits set the stage for a new subgenre of hardcore. Frontman Glenn Danzig's affinity for classic horror movies and literature gave the band a year-round Halloween flavor. Mixing this flair for theatrics with a hard, primal sound quickly sucked in a cult of dedicated fans. After Danzig's departure in 1983 and a couple of changes in lineup, the band pressed on. With the addition of punk veterans Dez Cadena and Marky Ramone, Jerry Only stepped up as frontman, and the band enjoyed a revitalized resurgence. With song titles like "Crawling Eye," "Night of the Living Dead" and "We Bite," the band's love of classic B-grade horror movies is evident. They reflect this love, coming at the listener in torrents of fright-filled energy. The perfect blend of punk and metal allows snarling vocals and thrashing guitars to war for dominance.
