THE MISFITS Vinyl & CDs

Review: Logically landing on 31st October, 1981 (well, the year is far less significant than day-month), 'Halloween' was one of horror punk outfit Misfits' early singles, released through Plan 9 Records. Just 5,000 copies were pressed on black 7" vinyl, the most sought-after now are those with a full lyric sheet which was missing from many copies. It's also notable as the first time the group used their logo inspired by genre-specific US movie magazine, Famous Monsters of Filmland.

This would be the last Misfits outing with guitarist Bobby Steele, and reflects just how wild and daring some of their ideas were. Track one, 'Halloween', has cultish, chant-like qualities, but pales into comparison with the longer sequel, 'Halloween II', which features verses in non-standard Latin, just to throw petrol on the whole fire and brimstone feel.

Review: Horror punk heroes Misfits have never sounded more raw, deranged and insistent than on their 1982 live album 'Evilive', and here, Plan 9 throw all fiends a bone with an extended edition including several previously unheard cuts, and a Henry Rollins cameo on 'We Are 138'. From the opening strains of '20 eyes' to the aforementioned closer, Misfits power through a relentless stream of fan favourites, from the anthemic 'Astro Zombies' and 'Hatebreeders' to the pummelling 'All Hell Breaks Loose', and just in time for spooky season!