Misfits are an American horror punk band from Lodi, New Jersey. Formed in February 1977, the group originally included vocalist and keyboardist Glenn Danzig, bassist Diane DiPiazza, who was replaced by Jerry Only, and drummer Mr. Jim, who was replaced by Manny Martinez shortly after, with guitarist Franché Coma added in the fall of that year. The band went through a number of personnel changes, including adding Only's brother Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein on guitars in 1980, before breaking up in 1983. Only and Doyle reformed the Misfits in 1995 with new vocalist Michale Graves and drummer Dr. Chud. Doyle and Danzig rejoined the band in 2016, alongside guitarist Acey Slade and drummer Dave Lombardo.
The Misfits were formed in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, by Glenn Danzig. Danzig's first recruit to the Misfits was drummer Mr. Jim and bassist Diane DiPiazza, however, DiPiazza never showed up. Mr. Jim was replaced by Manny Martinez shortly after. The two practiced in Martínez's garage, with Danzig on electric piano and Martínez on drums. The duo soon encountered Jerry Caiafa, who was dating a neighbor of Martínez's and had just received a bass guitar for Christmas. After performing as a three-piece for a number of months, which spawned their first single "Cough/Cool", the band added guitarist Frank "Franché Coma" Licata in October. [1] By the end of the year they had also replaced Martínez with James "Mr. Jim" Catania. Misfits recorded its debut album Static Age in the first two months of 1978, but it remained unreleased until 1996. [2] "Bullet" was issued in June 1978. [3]
Coma left midway through a North American tour in October 1978, followed by Mr. Jim later in the month. [4] They were replaced in November by Bobby "Steele" Kaufhold and Joey "Image" Poole, respectively. [4] Coma was initially replaced by Rick Riley for two shows before Steele joined. [4] After the release of two singles – "Horror Business" and "Night of the Living Dead" – Image left Misfits in December 1979 following conflicts with Danzig and Only. [5] The group went on a short hiatus, before adding drummer Arthur Googy (real name Arthur McGuckin) in April 1980. [6] Later in the year, Steele was replaced by Only's 16-year-old brother Paul Caiafa (originally a roadie for the band), who adopted the moniker Doyle. [7] This lineup recorded the band's first album to be released, Walk Among Us , which was issued in March 1982. [8] Googy left shortly after its release following an argument with Danzig. [9]
Returning with former Black Flag drummer Roberto "Robo" Valverde, Misfits recorded its second album Earth AD/Wolfs Blood throughout late 1982 and early 1983. [10] Robo left in August 1983, with Brian Damage (real name Brian Keats) brought in for scheduled tour dates later in the year. [4] However, Danzig disbanded the group after a final show on October 29 which Rolling Stone writer Kory Grow described as "shambolic", during which former touring drummer Todd Swalla was forced to substitute for the drunken Damage. [11] Earth AD/Wolfs Blood was released in December 1983, [12] followed by single "Die, Die My Darling" in May 1984. [13] Following the breakup of the Misfits, Danzig formed Samhain and later Danzig, while the Caiafa brothers formed Kryst the Conqueror. [10]
After a legal case regarding ownership of the band's name, Only "secured the exclusive legal right to tour and record as the Misfits" in 1995 and reformed the band with Doyle. [14] The pair initially invited Danzig to rejoin, who declined. [9] During auditions for new bandmates, Only and Doyle recorded several demos with vocalist Eric Weiss and drummer Joel Gausten, although they were not official members of the band. [15] Later in the year, vocalist Michael "Michale Graves Emanuel and drummer David "Dr. Chud" Calabrese joined the group, with their first shows coming in October. [16] The new lineup released several recordings together, including American Psycho and Famous Monsters . [17] [18] Graves briefly departed in 1998, during which time Myke Hideous filled in on several tour dates. [19]
Graves and Chud left midway through a show on October 25, 2000. [20] Several guest musicians replaced them at later dates, including former member Joey Image, vocalist Zoli Téglás and drummer Ken "Renfield" Schalk. [20] In early 2001, the group toured with a range of guests, including Eric Arce, former members Robo and Graves, former Black Flag guitarist Dez Cadena, and former Ramones drummer Marky Ramone. [21] Both Cadena and Marky later became official members, [22] before Doyle left the band in May 2001. [23] Robo returned to replace Ramone in May 2005, [24] remaining until November 2010 when he was replaced by Arce. [25] In 2014, the band expanded to a four-piece with the addition of Only's son Jerry Caiafa II on guitar, [26] although the following June it was announced that Cadena had to cease performing due to undergoing cancer treatment. [27]
On May 12, 2016, it was announced that Danzig would be returning to the band for the first time since 1983, alongside guitarist Doyle, for a lineup dubbed "The original Misfits". [28] In August, it was announced that former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo would be joining as the fourth member of the group, with the first reunion shows taking place the following month. [29]
Image | Name (real name) | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Jerry Only (Jerry Caiafa) |
|
| all Misfits releases | |
Glenn Danzig (Glenn Anzalone) |
|
| all Misfits releases from "Cough/Cool" (1977) to "Die, Die My Darling" (1984) | |
Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein (Paul Caiafa) |
|
|
| |
Acey Slade (Emil Schmidt) | 2016–present |
| none as of yet | |
Dave Lombardo | drums |
Image | Name (real name) | Years active | Instruments | Release contributions |
---|---|---|---|---|
Manny Martínez | 1977 (died 2023) |
| "Cough/Cool" (1977) | |
Jimi Battle | 1977 | guitars | none | |
Diane DiPiazza | bass | |||
Mr. Jim (Jim Catania) |
| drums |
| |
Franché Coma (Frank Licata) | 1977–1978 (touring 2007) |
|
| |
Bobby Steele (Bobby Kaufhold) | 1978–1980 |
|
| |
Joey Image (Joey Poole) | 1978–1979 (touring 2000)(died 2020) | drums | ||
Arthur Googy (Arthur McGuckin) | 1980–1982 | all Misfits releases from 3 Hits from Hell (1981) to Evilive (1982) | ||
Robo (Roberto Valverde) |
|
| ||
Dr. Chud (David Calabrese) | 1995–2000 |
|
| |
Michale Graves (Michael Emanuel) |
| lead vocals | all Misfits releases from American Psycho (1997) to "Monster Mash" (1999), except "I Wanna Be a NY Ranger" (1998) | |
Dez Cadena | 2001–2015 |
| all Misfits releases from "Day the Earth Caught Fire" (2002) to "Horror Xmas" (2013), except Psycho in the Wax Museum (2006) | |
Marky Ramone (Marky Bell) | 2001–2005 |
|
| |
Chupacabra (Eric Arce) | 2010–2016 (touring 2000–01) | drums | all Misfits releases from The Devil's Rain (2011) to Friday the 13th (2016) | |
Jerry Other (Jerry Caiafa II) | 2014–2016 | rhythm guitar |
| |
Marc Rizzo | 2015 | lead guitar |
|
Image | Name (real name) | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Rick Riley | 1978 | guitars | After the sudden departure of Franché Coma, Riley played guitar for the band at two shows in October 1978. [4] | |
Todd Swalla |
| drums | Swalla played one Misfits show in June 1982, and later substituted for Damage on October 29, 1983. [30] | |
Brian Damage (Brian Keats) | 1983 | His first and only performance turned out to be the band's farewell show. He played thirteen songs of the set and was then replaced for the rest of the show by Swalla. [31] | ||
Myke Hideous (Myke Itzazone) | 1998 | lead vocals | Hideous temporarily replaced Michale Graves during the summer of 1998, before the regular vocalist returned. [19] | |
Zoli Téglás | 2000 | Following the departure of Michale Graves in October 2000, Téglás temporarily fronted the band at live shows. [20] | ||
Renfield (Ken Schalk) | drums | After Dr. Chud left in October 2000, he was temporarily replaced by Arce, Renfield and Cross. [20] [32] | ||
Matt Cross |
Period | Members | Releases |
---|---|---|
January – February 1977 |
| none |
March – October 1977 |
|
|
October – December 1977 |
| none |
January – October 1978 |
|
|
October 1978 |
| none |
November 1978 – December 1979 |
|
|
April – October 1980 |
|
|
October 1980 – April 1982 |
|
|
June 1982 |
| none |
July 1982 – August 1983 |
|
|
October 1983 |
| none |
October 1983 |
| |
Band inactive October 1983 – October 1995 | ||
October 1995 – May 1998 |
|
|
May – August 1998 |
|
|
August 1998 – October 2000 |
|
|
Band performed with guest musicians October 2000 – May 2001 | ||
May 2001 – May 2005 |
|
|
May 2005 – November 2010 |
|
|
November 2010 – late 2014 |
|
|
Late 2014 – June 2015 |
| none |
June 2015 – May 2016 |
|
|
May 2016 – present |
| none as of yet |
The Misfits are an American punk rock band often recognized as the pioneers of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery. The group was founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, by vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist Glenn Danzig. Over the next six years, Danzig and bassist Jerry Only were the group's main members through numerous personnel changes. During this period, they released several EPs and singles, and with Only's brother Doyle as guitarist, the albums Walk Among Us (1982) and Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement. The band has gone through many lineup changes over the years, with bassist Jerry Only being the only constant member in the group.
Dez Cadena is an American punk rock singer and guitarist. He was the third vocalist and later rhythm guitarist for hardcore punk band Black Flag from 1980 to 1983. Cadena played guitar with Misfits from 2001 to 2015, initially joining the band alongside Doyle, Jerry Only, and Robo for their 25th Anniversary Tour.
Julio Roberto Valverde Valencia, better known by his stage name Robo, is a Colombian-American drummer. He came to prominence in the early 1980s with punk band Black Flag, and more recently has been a member of Misfits.
Danzig is an American heavy metal band led by former Samhain and Misfits singer Glenn Danzig. Formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey, the group early on became a unique voice in the rock scene, playing a bluesy, doom-laden metal with Glenn Danzig crooning in the style of Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley. After a major hit with a live version of its 1988 song "Mother", the band experimented with industrial music but later returned to heavy metal. As of 2023, Danzig has released 12 studio albums, two EPs, one live album, and one compilation album.
Glenn Allen Anzalone, better known by his stage name Glenn Danzig, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the founder of the rock bands Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He owns the Evilive record label as well as Verotik, an adult-oriented comic book publishing company.
"Cough/Cool" is the first single released by the horror punk band the Misfits. It was released in August 1977 on singer Glenn Danzig's label Blank Records. 500 copies were produced on black 7" vinyl. Both songs from the single were re-recorded and re-released in various versions over the following twenty years.
Beware is the fifth release by the American punk rock band Misfits. First issued in January 1980, this EP combined the Misfits' previously released singles "Bullet" and "Horror Business", and was originally intended as a recording that the Misfits could bring with them on their tour of the United Kingdom with the British punk rock group the Damned in late 1979. Along with songs from "Bullet" and "Horror Business", Beware also includes the track "Last Caress", which had never been released previously.
Gerald Caiafa Jr., better known by his stage name Jerry Only, is an American musician, best known as the bassist for the Misfits and later the vocalist as well. He is the only member to appear in every Misfits lineup except the original.
Collection II, also known as Misfits II, a compilation album of songs by the American punk rock band Misfits. Released on November 14, 1995, it serves as a companion album to the band's previous compilation, Collection I. Both compilations collect all the early singles and the entire Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood album, and are meant to complement Walk Among Us and Legacy of Brutality with little overlap. All the early singles are supposed to be represented, although alternative versions of some songs are used instead of the original releases.
American Psycho is the fourth studio album by the American punk rock band Misfits. Released on May 13, 1997, it was the first to be recorded and released without the band's founder and former leader Glenn Danzig. Bassist Jerry Only, after years of litigation, reached a settlement with Danzig and was granted the rights to use the band's name and image to record and perform. The album also marked the addition of singer Michale Graves and Dr. Chud on drums.
Cuts From the Crypt is a collection of demos, formerly unreleased tracks and cover songs by the American horror punk band Misfits. All the album's tracks were recorded by the band in the years following their reformation without original singer Glenn Danzig. The enhanced version also contains the music video for the song "Scream!".
Misfits is a 1986 compilation album by the American punk rock band Misfits. Officially titled Misfits, but also known as Collection, Collection 1, or Collection I, the album features twenty songs by the band. The tracks include some of the group's early singles, as well as songs from their 1982 album Walk Among Us, their 1983 album Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood, and the 1985 compilation album Legacy of Brutality, which was curated exclusively by vocalist Glenn Danzig after the band had dissolved in 1983.
Evilive II is a 1998 live album by the American punk rock band Misfits. Featuring the "resurrected" Misfits lineup of vocalist Michale Graves, bassist Jerry Only, guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, and drummer Dr. Chud, the album was recorded between October 1997 and March 1998 at a number of concerts in the United States. The album was released on CD by Caroline Records on August 14, 1998, and was made exclusively available through the official Misfits' fan club, known as "the Fiend Club", and was also sold on tour. The CD has since gone out-of-print.
Paul Caiafa, known professionally as Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein, is an American guitarist best known for his material with the horror punk band the Misfits and his own band eponymously named Doyle.
David Calabrese, known professionally as Dr. Chud, is an American horror punk drummer best known for his work with the Misfits.
Gorgeous Frankenstein was an American horror punk/heavy metal band formed in 2005 in New Jersey by Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein and his former wife and ex-professional wrestler Stephanie Bellars. The band's name is a combination of both Doyle and Bellars' stage names.
The discography of Misfits, a horror punk band formed in Lodi, New Jersey, in 1977, consists of seven studio albums, three live albums, four compilation albums, four EPs, nineteen singles, one video album, five music videos, one box set, one demo, and one cancelled album.
Doyle is an American horror punk band formed in 2012 by Misfits guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein and Cancerslug frontman Alex Story. Doyle has released two studio albums.
Argyle Goolsby is an American musician, best known for being the lead vocalist, bassist and co-founder of horror punk band Blitzkid (1997–2012).