Misfits: Earth A.D. [CAROLINE/PLAN 9]

Why you'll love it

This pressing plays at 45 RPM and was made in Canada. Earth A.D. was the band's last album with Glenn Danzig, and its songs have been covered by Metallica and Cradle of Filth.

This edition

• Cut at 45 RPM
• Pressed in Canada

About the album

Danzig put this out on his own Plan 9 label in December 1983, two months after his last show with the band, so it arrived as a farewell. It's the sound of the Misfits tearing into hardcore at full speed.

Danzig sings over Doyle's buzzsaw guitar, his brother's bass and Robo's breakneck drumming, with Spot co-producing, and the tempos hardly ever drop. The original album runs under 15 minutes yet is still billed as an LP, and the band packs a full album's worth of riffs into that time. "Earth A.D." and "Queen Wasp" blast open the album, "Devilock" and "Green Hell" are pure speed and menace, and "Wolfs Blood" and "Demonomania" fly by. Danzig has said "Bloodfeast" and "Death Comes Ripping" were first meant for his next band, Samhain, before landing here in an effort to keep the Misfits going.

Metallica covered "Green Hell" in a medley with another Misfits favourite, Cradle of Filth took on "Death Comes Ripping," and Marduk had a go at the title track. In 2015 a later line-up played it start to finish at the This is Hardcore festival. At this length you could do the same twice over one cup of tea.

Also at Kops: more Misfits on vinyl · browse Punk

Tracklist

Listen

On Plan 9 / Caroline (cat# 619021), a reissue of the 1983 album.