Has Doyle's horror schtick past it's (Misfits) sell-by date?

WHETHER it was the first incarnation or the second incarnation of The Misfits, they hold a special place in many a metalheads' heart, even for those who only wear the t-shirst because Metallica covered a song...

Which makes the release of Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein's new album 'Abominator' all the more open to question; is this past glories trying to be revived from a long decayed corpse?

And, to compound things has The Misfits cod-horror rock has now been claimed by the likes of Wednesday 13.

But the fact is that Doyle has emerged from the smoldering remains of the Misfits and the abortive Kryst the Conqueror and Gorgeous Frankenstein with the devilock still relevant, and with a knowing smile to the audience from within the tales of gire; all at a time when we are all too in need of a laugh and a peek into the darkside.

Released on CD barely a month ago the eponymously titled album sees Alex Story of Cancerslug growl and snarl through Doyle's twisted mind and lyrics.

Ironically the title track, Abominator, while a good song, is not even close to attaining the horrors within this album.

From the slowed down Dreaming Dead Girls to the mid-paced Land of the Dead, to the swing-tastic groove of Cemetrysexxx, this is a composite of the best of horror punk/metal.

But the real stand out track is the distinctly heavy metal closer Hope Hell is Warm, with elements of thrash, contemporary metal and a Sabbath-style breakdown, this shows that Mr Von Frankenstein is more than an assemblage of random (body) parts of his past, but has more potential within that pumped up body.

This is the time when Doyle can maybe (at last) shake off his Misfits past and begin to build his own legacy, a legacy that may stand on its own, stand shoulder to shoulder with contemporaries in this genre. After all if Alice Cooper can still draw in audiences there is no reason why Doyle can't too!