Misfits
Static Age

THE REVIEW

I SPECIFY FIRST OF ALL THAT EVERYTHING I WILL WRITE ARE PERSONAL IDEAS, WHICH CAN FREELY BE CONTESTED OR NOT SHARED.

The 70s. Beautiful women, new music, frameworks torn down and completely rebuilt. The golden years of the young, to make it clear. No point in imagining the local bands present in New Jersey and all over America, especially the proponents of DIY (the most sincere movement in history). By then, it was a tradition to be part of a band. Among the many present, one was formed by a particular guy: Glenn Danzig.

In 1977 he had the most useful and profitable idea: to revolutionize a genre that already in itself represented a break from the norm, the much-criticized Punk. Well, in the midst of Punk '77, Danzig founded the first Horror Punk band, the Misfits. He was helped by a friend, Gerard Caiafa, better known as Jerry Only. They recruited "temp" musicians (as they were continuously kicked out of the band) and began working. If they can be called that. What are the works of the Misfits? Jokes? Masterpieces? No one will ever know.

"Static Age" is their first work, which was written between 1977-1978, although it was officially released in 1998 (as no label was interested in the Misfits' style). Now, surely a lover of Pink Floyd or Yes would have laughed in front of this work, seemingly trivial, futile, and lacking technique. The problem is that this is exactly what the Misfits wanted to do! Essentially, it is a mockery of progressive music, multi-instrumentalism, the writing of "suites" (if they can be called that), in short, of 60s and early 70s society. It can be defined as a B-Movie in the musical field.

"Static Age" is as important as it is overlooked: it paved the way for DIY artists who did not achieve success, it influenced three generations of musicians, it told classical music to go to hell, but above all (and it is true) it laid the foundations of Hardcore punk (folks, we are still in full '77). This demonstrates the symbolic nature and genius of these guys who with 3 riffs created 3 complete LPs. There is no technique. There is no passion. There is no harmony. Only emptiness, a void so peculiar it seems full. It is practically impossible (and above all useless) to write a track-by-track, as there would be billions of technical errors and mediocrity to point out in the music of "Static Age", which if listened to all together, makes you forget them and transmits pure adrenaline. There is always something to say on a technical level. In "Static Age" you hear (indeed, they are slammed in front of your nose) very strong and clear rockabilly elements (which were stolen by all subsequent horror punkers to the group from Lodi), especially in the songs Angelfuck (in my opinion the best of the album along with Teenagers from Mars) and Theme for a Jackal. Moreover, other songs are affected by heavy metal influences, such as In the Doorway and the famous She.

In essence, the album is a masterpiece of uselessness, it is the epic of mediocrity. In 1978 we wrote the foundations of 30 years of records. A must-buy.