By: Rinjo Njori

Super groups often fail because the assumption that putting like minded and revered musicians in the same room will produce a perfect song every time doesn't already hold true. Unfortunately, the most well intentioned super group rarely bears a legacy comparable to the leaders of the genre: Bad Company was no Led Zeppelin and The Aftermath (Dr. Dre) didn't come close to NWA. Likewise, the first incarnation of Son of Sam didn't come close to horror punk legends like the Misfits or Samhain. At the dawn of the decade, Todd Youth (Murphy's Law ca. 1988) teamed up with some Samhain alumni (London May), fellow soldiers in the 2000 lineup of Danzig (Steve Zing, Joey Castillo), AFI's Davey Havok and the godfather of horror rock, Danzig, to form Son Of Sam. The resulting Songs from the Earth fell somewhere between Glenn Danzig-era Misfits, Samhain and AFI's destination on Sing the Sorrow. With Havok's distinguishable vocals, the album could easily have passed for AFI to the group's growing legions. Still the involvement of Danzig gave the project some weight and hope that the style of music would ignite the cold, desolate region of his nostalgic heart. In the end, the side project should have been relegated to a footnote of the musical careers of everyone involved.

Fast forward to 2007 where Todd Youth decides to revive the Son of Sam brand, replacing Havok on vocals with the unknown Ian Thorne and the Joey Castillo/Steve Zing drum combo with Karl Rosqvist. Beyond the change in vocal style, gone are the Black Aria-esque lush organ arrangements. In their place are sound effects that "try" to create the right feel of despair and terror. This falls slat on the intro "The Bleeding" but Youth and the rest of the band surprisingly make up for it with "Death Baby," whose main riff checks John Christ's contributions to the great era of Danzig. Oddly enough, Youth goes back to basics for "They Have Risen," which is one part New York hardcore anthem and one part Misfit's tribute. Jerry Only (The Misfits) has never come this close with any post-Danzig incarnation of the band. The last half of the album falls somewhere between Doyle-era Misfits and early era AFI. Skip ahead and you might be hooked.

The first five songs make every single mistake imaginable and could possibly drive the horror punk faithful away. The guitar is too metallic and precise and Thorne's vocals are all over the place. He sounds like he's channelling Scott Weiland on "The Bleeding" and "Dark Life" and like a Danzig clone without the chops on "Suffer." Youth and Zing are seasoned in the genre but seem to have forgotten the consistency of Songs from the Earth. You could leave it up to progression but Son of Sam 08 is clearly a reset.

As long as there are Misfits fans, there will be an audience for this brand of punk. Youth has played with Danzig and tapped into his expertise on their first effort. There are less able torchbearers leading the genre, Doyle's current lineup for example. Paul Rodgers now fronts Queen and Dr. Dre isn't looking for Compton/South L.A.'s latest gangster rhymers for After the Aftermath. Let's see where Youth, Zing, Rosqvist, and Thorne guide this vehicle. All the black hair dye, eyeliner, posturing, and the occasional hit should warrant a Son of Sam III.

Labels: Son of Sam