The Misfits -  Earth A.D.
By DeadSun

“I’ll Bet You’re Gonna Like it In A.D.”

In more recent times, punk and heavy metal music have become viewed as two genres which are often mutually exclusive of one another. They are distinct in that they have their own attitude, culture, and approach to song structure.

Sometimes--- though, these two separate worlds manage to overlap.

In July of 1983, the horror punk band The Misfits produced the album Earth A.D.--- an album which must always be heard in a special light, because of its ability to not only curry favor with the punk rock crowd, but to metal heads and hardcore fans alike. For a band which had truly made their mark with their distinct blend of fast, raw, and yet somehow 50’s inspired music--- blended with words drawn straight from the screenplays of Sci-Fi and B-Horror film--- Earth A.D.  was a musical revolution. Suddenly, the music was devoid of astro zombies and teenagers from Mars, having been replaced with a more true to life brand of violence and brutality. 

The music followed suit, too. The guitar is played ruthlessly quick, ripping through your speakers like a dissonant growl, with decidedly less presence of the Misfits’ legendary shout along melodies. The drumming, in terms of what was around in 1983, was completely forward thinking, if looked at through the prism of the emerging speed metal and thrash genres which yielded up essential contributions to heavy metal within the few years following the release of Earth A.D.  That’s what makes this album so damned special--- a primal, early horde of thrash metal, speed metal, and hardcore--- but from a band whose prior efforts were unquestionably horror punk. The album was, quite literally, a call to arms for what was to come, not for punk rock, but more so for heavy metal and hardcore.

Don’t be fooled by the 21 minute long time span of Earth A.D.. From the opening , self-titled track, to the blistering fury of “Green Hell”, to the cult staple “Die, Die, My Darling”, to the concussive rawness of “Devilock” and “Death Comes Ripping”--- you won’t have time to come up for air during any of those 21 minutes. This album furnishes you with a fantastic navigational blueprint between genres and sub-genres, in a way so few albums can. That is what makes it so unique, and so essential to any collector of heavy music, irregardless of taste or preference. The breadth and scope of Earth A.D.’s” influence can be heard everywhere, and its seminal dimension is touted by scores of well-known bands--- all from a handful of punks from Lodi, New Jersey, who were better known for writing songs like “Hollywood Babylon”, “She”, “Some Kinda Hate, “Bullet”, and “I Turned Into a Martian”. This is not to say that the Misfits’ prior works were somehow inferior to what they put to tape on Earth A.D.--- only that Earth A.D. is a release that can manage to have a meaningful place in anyone’s collection, whether it sits alongside your thrash, or your punk, or your hardcore--- it makes no difference. That, my friends, makes for some truly unique music--- and thus, by default, makes for a DeadSun Favorite.

Do your collection a favor. Own this record.

Until next month, this is the DeadSun, signing off.

DS

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The Clash - Give 'Em Enough Rope
By Greenmuse

Possibly one of the more overlooked and underrated albums by one of the best bands ever to put music to tape. This could be partly due to the fact that a lot of stores don't seem to stock it, I had a heck of a time finding it and only found it in a dusty corner of a little record shop after my friend went through the trouble of shipping me a copy from jolly ol England. Another reason why this is almost a forgotten album could be what it is sandwiched between. On one side is the self-titled album, on the other is what many consider The Clash's masterpiece, London Calling(though if you ask me personally, their (admittedly flawed) masterpiece was Sandinista!). Being stuck in the middle of those two sonic megaliths of music is a tough existence to be given in life, but such is Give 'Em Enough Rope's lot in life. 

Give 'Em Enough Rope is home to a plethora of fantastic songs. The album starts off with "Safe European Home" this tune strips paint at 30 feet. This song deals with Mick and Joe's less than favorable experience in Jamaica trying to score some weed on the docks of Kingston. The chap took their money and made a getaway on a bike. Leaving them down a few dollars and weedless. From there it goes to "English Civil War" and then to "Tommy Gun"which are two of my favorite tunes by The Clash. I will sing these at atrocious volume while riding about in the car. As recently as the morning of the day that I wrote this, I was crooning out these tunes in the comfort of my auto. Especially "Tommy Gun". I get all into it like a fool, but it makes me feel good. Sure Joe's probably shaking his head in disgust as a I butcher his tune, but my heart is in the right place. 

Then it's on to "Julies Been Working In The Drug Squad", this song seems to especially suffer from the curse of this album, that curse being horrible production. I've heard this tune live and it is worlds better than here. Sandy Pearlman produced the life right out of this album. The entire thing ends up sounding sort of flat and tinny. The debut self titled which wasn't released here in the states until after Give 'Em Enough Rope was released was held back by Epic due to lousy production. I hope someone at Sony sees the irony in this. "Guns On The Roof" is pretty funny considering the fact it was written about Topper and Paul's rooftop fun of shooting some guys prize racing pigeons with a pellet gun and the rooftop raid by the police afterwards. It was unknown to them at the time that the birds were anything special, but in retrospect Paul says he wonders why they kept going back after being shot at. There is a little bit about the case in the film "Rude Boy"

"Drug Stabbin Time" is another one of my favorite tunes, I like the Chuck Berry like rhythm it starts off with. Another song I sing like a madman, I bet I'm not the only one. This song especially is catchy as hell. Something about the way this song is sung makes it the equivalent of happy little trees. Like Julie, it ends up in a drug bust. Then its "Stay Free" this tune is dandy as well. It's a bit slow and seems sort of out of place, much like "Train In Vain" from the later London Calling. "Stay Free" is a sort of speech to a friend who finds his way into jail then a few years later gets out. Mick sings it perfectly as well. I love the ending phrase "and if you're in the crown tonight, have a drink on me, but go easy, step lightly, stay free" 

"Cheapskates" is roundly regarded as the worst song on the album. I agree with it not being as strong as the tunes around it. But it is catchy and good to sing to. The album closes with "All The Young Punks" which sort of similar in theme as "Cheapskates" being directed towards people on the outside of the band thinking being in a band is a wonderful life of ease, its hard work but as the song goes "its better than a factory". Whew I've blabbed enough. 
 

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Suicidal Tendencies – How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today 
By Keavin Wiggins

I have a running joke with some friends because I tend to pick off the wall favorite albums from artists.  For example, most people will list Heaven and Hell or Paranoid as a favorite Sabbath album, while my favorite is Born Again. People will pick Alive or Destroyer as their favorite KISS album and my favorite is Music From the Elder. Or some will pick Animals or Dark Side of the Moon for Pink Floyd, while my favorite is The Final Cut. That really comes into play with my selection this time. Of all the great releases from Suicidal Tendencies, I have to put How Will I Laugh Tomorrow… at the top of my favorite list. This is probably the opposite pick for most hardcore ST fans. 

Why is that? My understanding from the ST fans I knew at the time this album came out was that they saw this release as too much of a departure for the band (they may have changed their minds since then). ST actually expanded their musical boundaries with this one to encompass more metal and thrash and that turned some of the punkier hardcore minded fans off. It did the opposite for me. I think this album was the culmination of the best of the early ST sound taken in a new direction from the hardcore roots to a more thrash metal base.  While the band's self-titled debut will always hold a special place in my CD collection (how could you not love " I Saw Your Mommy..." and "Institutionalized"?), the songs on How Will I Laugh Tomorrow…  just connected better for me and crystallized Mike Muir's talent as a songwriter, social commentator and lyricist.  Or maybe it was the collaborations with others that opened doors for Muir on this album. Whatever it was, I remember clearly, when this album came out that I was blown away by its power, but also by the jump in songwriting skill. 

"Trip to the Brain" is a great kick off track, plenty of balls but it's the title track and "Hearing Voices" that really expanded the horizons of this band. Unlike T.S.O.L.'s ill-fated attempt to go beyond punk with Hit and Run, ST managed to make the transition beyond hardcore punk with this album without going too far (as T.S.O.L. went too far and landed in the glam scene). 

For me, this album was the pinnacle for ST. They have put out some remarkable work before and after, but this album seemed to be the one where they broke out from their core sounds and tried different things (always a plus in my book). While my punk friends might disown this one, I think trash and metal fans that have not heard it, might want to take a listen. It may just open the doors of ST to you. And that might make it easier for you to then go back and check out the punk stuff.  But in the end, this is my personal favorite, yet you really can't go wrong with ST. 

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