Released only a short while after their proper debut in 1982, the followup to Walk Among Us, titled Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood is easily the bands most intense and brief effort. In fact, the initial release of the LP, which carries the aforementioned title, clocks in at a staggeringly short 14 minutes. Whereas latter editions of the album included tracks from the Die, Die My Darling EP which rounded things up to 21 minutes overall. Either way, the third Mistfits album is not going to take up much time, and in my opinion, it also cuts a lot of the crap that some of the band's later LP's would wallow in. But before I move on to the album itself, I should probably voice my opinion on which version of the LP is 'superior' since there are people out there that prefer the initial release. In my opinion, if you want a fast, no frills hardcore punk album and nothing more, go for the Wolfs Blood edition; you'll be hard pressed to find a leaner, more satisfying punk album. However, if you would like to have a few more shots of melody, then the Die, Die My Darling edition is for you. Personally, I love the three tracks that the latter edition adds, so I choose that one.
All that aside, the album on offer here is one lean mean punk machine. It just doesn't stop from the moment the track "Earth A.D." kicks things off, to the moment that "We Bite" squeals out and crashes. This LP is hardcore punk, a genre that kind of seems like pure noise to the untrained ear, but I'd argue that this album would be appealing even to someone who usually writes the genre off completely. Not only are the riffs here hard as nails, but Glenn Danzig is such a compelling frontman and his voice just soars above the mix in such a fantastic way. I've probably listened to this album a good two dozen times in the past week in preparation for this series, and each time I go through it, I appreciate Danzig's vocals even more.
That's not to say that the playing here isn't fantastic as well, I mean, these guys are playing their guts out on every track here, even if the production leads to some of the finesse being lost in translation. Still, there are some fantastic tracks here, such as the studio version of "Mommy, Can I Go Out & Kill Tonight?", the grinding "Green Hell" and the menacing "Blood Feast" which for the original cut of the LP is the lone moment that the band slows things down to create a more moody atmosphere. However, with the later editions we get the classic Misfits tune "Die, Die My Darling" as well, and the wonderfully catchy "We Bite" which is the closest this album comes to revisiting Static Age in terms of style.
Aside from some murky production here and there, there's not really any other negatives to point out here. Sure, it isn't the catchiest, or most immediate Misfits LP, but I'd say it is the most viscerally satisfying by a long shot. So, if you're in the mood to trash around for a good 20 minutes, put on some Earth A.D.!
9.3/10
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