Really, what is Halloween but classic horror and the chance to be a punk? I mean, some kids dress up like ghosts by tossing a sheet over their head, and some dress up like witches by wearing a pointy hat and carrying a broom — that’s classic. And a certain subset of other kids take the night to smash carefully prepared Jack-o-lanterns, egg houses, terrorize smaller children… Y’know, just generally wreak havoc. And that’s pretty damn punk. And all of it is glorious, is fun, is awesome…
So it’s only right to celebrate Halloween with some classic horror punk that’s glorious, fun, awesome…
Never yet equalled in horror-punk circles, 1982’s Walk Among Us remains The Misfits’ defining statement, the best representation of their formula, which is basically Elvis fronting the best and worst-sounding punk band ever and singing about 1960s b-grade horror movies. From the opening singalong “20 Eyes” through “I Turned Into A Martian” and into the classic “Skulls,” the band rips through their bubblegum melodies and b-movie inspirations with grin-inducing glee and reckless abandon. Hearing a young Glenn Danzig croon “Collect the heads of little girls and put them on my walls / hack the heads off little girls and put them on my wall / I want your skull / I need your skull” isn’t so much frightening as it is oddly and creepily endearing, infectious, an unavoidable singalong covering depraved and murderous subject matter.
The production is ragged; aside from Danzig’s distinctive bellow, the band’s performance is sloppy at best. But nevertheless, Walk Among Us stands strong, rocks hard, and lands as one of the best punk records of all time — the songs on this record are unstoppable, their melodies brilliant and their simplicity engaging. It’s difficult to listen and end up humming “Vampira” or “Hatebreeders” — and never-mind the zombie-drinking-song melody of “Braineaters” — but it’s the stellar “Astro Zombies” that always stands out more than the rest, that song finding the best balance between the dueling aspects the band’s sound: the doo-wop melody and raucous punk backbone… Prime directive: exterminate the whole fuckin’ place… And Walk Among Us does. Metal it isn’t, but the metal bands it’s inspired certainly are, and they are legion.
