Cuts From the Crypt
In a parallel universe the Misfits would be gods. Admittedly it would be a universe created by darkly humorous filmmaker Tim Burton and every day would be Halloween, but such minor considerations have never held them back. In fact, for over 20 years their brand of gothic punk has attracted a sizeable cult following in the real world and with a new lineup taking shape in 1995 they found themselves attracting a fresh set of fans.Cuts from the Cryptraids the vaults of the past five years to showcase some of their best and unreleased moments featuring current vocalist Michale Graves. It's a no-nonsense collection of metal, punk, and rock located halfway between theDamnedandIron Maiden, with its tongue firmly placed in its cheek. In homage to the aforementioned director the first six tracks are from a lost demo called "Mars Attacks," while other highlights include their grimly faithful version of the '60s hit, "Monster Mash." Best of all is the ludicrously camp "I Wanna Be a NY Ranger," which suggests that the Misfits are what the Village People would have become if they had swapped the disco for the graveyard. Now that reallywouldbe a parallel universe.--William Luff