Clearly, horror punk legends the Misfits are not a metal band.
Their token entry on these pages is due to their clear member
ties to metal bands, their influence on the metal scene, and
their popularity among metal fans.
Formed in New Jersey in 1977, they released several singles and
7" EPs and the like on their own Plan 9 record label, eventually
managing two full-length albums before flaming out in 1983.
Most know that this was the first band of Glenn Danzig, who
shortly after the breakup of Misfits formed Samhain, which
eventually became
Danzig.
Less well known is that the guitarist/bassist duo of Jerry Only
and Doyle (actually brothers) also moved into the metal world,
albeit briefly, when they formed
Kryst The Conqueror.
That band didn't last long, and it wasn't until the mid-nineties
that the brothers, seeing the cult status of the band remain high
after years of inaction, decided to reform.
Danzig wanted no part of this, but a new vocalist was found, in the
form of Michale Graves, and the band was back in business, with
two comeback albums released in the late nineties.
More recently, Jerry Only recruited punk legends Dez Cadena
(Black Flag) and Marky Ramone (Ramones) in an all-new lineup,
and a new album Project 1950 (covers of various 50's tunes)
has been released.
