Published on Jan 14, 2000
Ever wonder what a bootleg sounds like, but you’re too cheap to
pay outrageous amounts for a CD from an otherwise unavailable live
show?
In that case, step to the front of the line and check out
Evilive from The Misfits, a recording that goes back to the
days when Glenn Danzig was fronting the now-legendary metal/punk
band. One difference, though, between this release and a bootleg:
This one is a legal release that has the absolute worst sound I’ve
ever heard on a live album.
Granted, shows by The Misfits weren’t exactly technological
wonders, relying more on the sheer thunder and energy of the music
than worrying about whether the sound was optimized. But, geez,
you’d think that for a live recording, they’d have fretted a
little bit, especially when there are times that Danzig’s
vocals can’t be heard at all.
Danzig and crew bash out their set in a haphazard manner,
completely pounding away on their instruments in order to get the
most sound out of them. And, yeah, I guess that does follow the
punk rock ethic – but they could have made it sound a little
tighter. While the diehard Misfits fan will undoubtedly cream all
over themselves due to the maniacal fury that the band presents,
the rest of us heathens will hear this as so much noise.
What bothers me is that this band was capable of combining the
frenzied playing and a decent mix and turn them into something
listenable. I’ll admit it’s been a long time since I pulled
Earth A.D. out of the Pierce Memorial Archives, but I recall
that album being much more listenable than this one. In fact, it
gets so muddied that if you didn’t hear the name of Henry Rollins
being screamed from the stage, you’d never know that the former
lead throat of Black Flag joined in on the album’s last cut, “We
Are 182”.
Yeah, I know the traditional Misfits tunes are here, like “20
Eyes,” “All Hell Breaks Loose” and “Hatebreeders”. But somehow, I
fail to find myself getting wrapped up in the horror film-like
structure of the songs when they’re being played with no regard to
musicianship or balance of volumes. Maybe a rousing rendition of
“Mommy, Can I Go Out And Kill Tonight?” would have helped – but
then, they needed something to spice up
Walk Among Us.
Evilive is not the greatest live album in the world – though
some Misfits fans might argue that this release is an accurate
portrait of a Misfits concert. May God have mercy on us all.