The Misfits… Punk Rock… Glenn Danzig on lead vocals… “Earth A.D.” is worth every listening second of my time, for these three reasons alone. “Earth A.D.”, (released in 1983), is the definitive Misfits album to own. (That is my belief). This release defined the Misfits as not only a genre splitting Punk Rock Band to reckon with, yet it served as an example of how truly aggressive, musically, the Misfits were at the time. This album could very well be defined as being one of the starting points, in orchestrating the birth of Horror Punk Rock. Dark and at times demonic, “Earth A.D.” ventured into subject matter and lyrical territory that was never explored by Punk Rock legends the likes of the Ramones or Sex Pistols. Would “Earth A.D.” be a survivor if released today, in 2009? Could this album rise above the current environment of musical expectancy, where immediate acknowledgment and acceptance from the narrow minded mainstream is practically never achieved by Extreme Music acts? Probably not, where if this album saw it’s release happen now, it would be thrown onto the heap, only to be cherished by those of us who know and understand what this music is really about.
In essence, the “Earth A.D.” album has achieved a continuous running, underground style of following since 1983. “Earth A.D.” continues to remind many of us, what a complete package really means when putting together an Extreme Music album. From the album artwork to the music found within, it is a vintage release that is looked upon for artistic guidance and reference. How relevant is this Misfits album in 2009? From the way I see it, this Misfits classic with it’s hardness and heaviness, holds up to or exceeds many current albums that come advertised as being so called hard and heavy – regardless of genre. Music appreciation parallels fine art appreciation, whereas it boils down to personal preference and often times bias. What I feel cannot be denied, however, is the acknowledgment of a genre defining moment, one in which eclipses any commercial barometer of pop culture normalcy… enter “Earth A.D.”.
In my Metal opinion, you can trace Thrash Metal roots back to “Earth A.D.”, with the guitar riffs and speed, combined with the fury of the rhythm section. Each song is short, as per the trademark of most Punk Rock songs. The entire playing time is about 20 minutes or so, yet the total impact of the Punk heaviness this album provides, is it’s true measuring stick. “Earth A.D.” is a must for Misfits fans, Punk Rock fans and Metal fans, especially those who want to hear how Extreme Music history was molded and shaped into form. I can recall a trip I once made, to a world renowned art museum in New York City. One of the most memorable moments for me while I was there, was witnessing an extremely wide and tall modern art sculpture. This sculpture was made out of laundry detergent boxes. The entire area surrounding this sculpture was cordoned off with red, velvet ropes. In my mind, I have put red, velvet ropes around the Misfits “Earth A.D.” album years ago. This music is just as good, if not better, than a modern art sculpture made out of laundry detergent boxes.
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