Even those who are not familiar with The Misfits’ music will instantly recognize their hollow-eyed, grinning skull logo. The New Jersey rockers, long credited as the originators of the horror punk subgenre, came together in 1977, and have been creating musical mayhem ever since. Over the course of the past thirty years, they’ve fought legal battles, changed lineups, broken up, reunited, and broken up again, all the while still managing to put out six full-length albums, numerous EPs, and other miscellaneous projects. Their seventh album, The Devil’s Rain, represents a turning point for second major incarnation of the band.

The Devil’s Rain is a 16-track journey into a dark alternate universe populated by vampires, aliens, and other mysterious creatures—as has been the band’s MO for the past three decades. Many of the tracks are two to three minute full-on aural assaults, with pounding drums perfect for head-banging, especially the triad of “Vivid Red”, “Land of the Dead”, and “The Black Hole”.

The strongest tracks are the ones that stray a step or two from these themes, which tend to occur more frequently in the second half of the album. “Father” begins with a strong guitar solo, and builds into the melody. The lyrical religious overtones (references to the mark of Cain) pair well with the haunting organ chords that end the track. But at times, these songs stray so far as to be jarring, as is the case with “Where Do They Go?”. Upbeat clapping and female backing vocals evoke classic 1950s doo wop, which doesn’t jive with what most listeners know about the band.

Bands that have existed across several iterations and decades often have to make tough choices with respect to their musical identity and direction. The Misfits should be applauded for their efforts, but they need to decide if they are the hard-rocking thrashers of their youth, experimental musicians, or something else altogether.

Final Words: A bit inconsistent to be enjoyable.