The Misfits* – Collection II

"Collection II" is the third digital anthology of the Misfits' essential late-'70s/early-'80s 7" singles, in this instance drawing most notably from the thrashy latter half of the Glenn Danzig era as well as his illegitimate "Walk Among Us" sequel. A bumper crop of aggressive, visceral and scratchy original recordings, unreleased tracks, B-sides, and rarities, "Collection II" is as nasty, giddy and blistering as the previous two assemblages, and equally indispensable. Fundamentally, this is 35 minutes of freaky fun that seamlessly bookends its predecessor, originally titled "The Misfits", interconnectedly amassing the early singles, the "Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood" album and the "Bullet" EP in totality.

Upon its release in 1995, "Collection II" was of immense value to fans due to its inclusion of songs previously only available via bootlegs or out-of-print EPs, one of which, "Return of the Fly", was recorded during the Static Age sessions, an intended album that finally saw the light of day in 1996. Also of note was "Last Caress", taken from the "Beware" EP and made popular through Metallica's 1987 cover, in a guitar-and-reverb-heavy mix exclusive to this compilation.

It is very easy to be deterred by the unwieldy nature of the Misfits' discography, hence why "The Misfits" and "Collection II" remains the most comprehensive yet convenient place to start for the uninitiated, featuring forty American punk standards that every self-respecting fan of the genre should own, coupled with special (and superior) versions of said melodic, mad and menacing classics concisely arranged across two discs.

Rating: 5/5

I am very glad that Caroline got the names of the songs right on Collection II