Leaving the Tomb

A self-described "brutal horrorpunk" outfit in garish makeup and costume from the city of Koln, Germany, the Crimson Ghosts are hugely beholden to the Misfits, so much so that parts of their debut album Leaving the Tomb could almost be mistaken for a Misfits tribute record. This is no bad thing, since succeeding generations of bands have watered down and twisted the Misfits' sound so much that most of the current-day grindcore and death metal bands who pledge their allegiance to Glenn Danzig and crew actually don't sound much like the Misfits did. What makes the unapologetically derivative Leaving the Tomb so refreshing is that the Crimson Ghosts know their source material so well that songs like "Reborn of Trioxine" and "The King of Skull Island" sound not like tepid rewrites of better Misfits songs, but like fresh material in the same style. The particular highlight is "Necrobabe," the album's best mixture of carnival-barker vocals, comic book lyrics, awesomely punky riffage and a surprisingly catchy chorus tying the whole thing together. The Crimson Ghosts remember a key aspect of the punk-horror nexus that escapes too many people, both fans and detractors alike: this stuff is supposed to be, in its own freaky way, fun. And that's what Leaving the Tomb provides.