Legendary bassist and founding member of the Horror Punk pioneers The Misfits, Jerry Only, has released his debut solo album Anti-Hero via Misfits Records today (on the verge of Halloween no less).
Huge amounts of Pre-orders of the multiple vinyl versions were a good indicator that this was a highly anticipated record with The Misfits and all their associated members and former members have never gone out of style and never losing their appeal and influence over the band’s decades-spanning career that all started in 1977 when Jerry and Glen Danzig put the band together.
Fast forward to 2022 and we have Anti-Hero, eight brand new tracks from Jerry Only with guest appearances by Dave Lombardo (Slayer, Mr. Bungle), Rob Caggiano (Anthrax, Volbeat) and others.
Even at eight tracks the album doesn’t cheap out, nor are the tracks “just Misfits songs” under a different name. Sure, the stylings and vocal patterns are what you’d expect from a founding member of a band that created an entire genre and inspired countless other bands, but, it’s crystal clear there has been thought, effort and of course, songwriting talent poured into every note and every word. These are naturally born songs from the mind of Jerry and his bandmates and stand alone, tall and proud in their rightful place next to his catalogue of tracks under the Misfits brand.
On the first spin, the album is catchy, and you’ll find yourself nodding along, by spin two or three you’ll be humming the hooks and melodies and from there on each spin is a sing-along session. Each of the eight tracks has its own clearly defined, individual feel and divides the record up nicely. There is a nice pace and flow to the whole record, no two tracks struggle against each other and all stand out for their own reasons.
‘Taboo’ is a personal favourite track with its 50’s rock & roll meets rockabilly meets punk sound, it’s a superb, catchy and listenable track that has found itself on repeat on my deck. ‘One Cell From You’ and ‘(You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care’ have a similar feel but with the punk dialled in a little higher, all three tracks complement each other perfectly. ‘Snake Eyes’ has some incredibly infectious rhythm and melodic parts while Fear The Walking Dead and ‘Dead Men’ are good old-fashioned, 100-proof, pure Horror Punk and a ton of fun.
If you have even a passing interest in The Misfits then, in my opinion, you’ll get a huge kick out of this album.
