PL901 | The Fiend Crypt

In 1981 Glenn Danzig assembled 13 tracks for a proposed Misfits debut album; he made an unknown number of cassettes and gave/sent them to record labels, friends and fiends. He assigned it PL9-01 (LISTEN) and created 25 sets of center label for the release.

The majority of the songs weren't all that different from their Walk Among Us counterparts but they were all slower (therefore slightly longer) and the guitar tracks were more muted in the mix;

Side 1:
01. 20 Eyes (August 1981 recording session at Mix-O-Lydian in Boonton, NJ)
02. I Turned Into A Martian (August 1981 recording session at Mix-O-Lydian in Boonton, NJ)
03. Astro Zombies   (August 1981 recording session at Mix-O-Lydian in Boonton, NJ)
04. Vampira   (August 1981 recording session at Mix-O-Lydian in Boonton, NJ)
05. All Hell Breaks Loose (1981 recording session at Mix-O-Lydian in Boonton, NJ)
06. Nike A Go Go (August 1981 recording session at Mix-O-Lydian in Boonton, NJ)
07. Devils Whorehouse   (June 1981 recording session done at Newfound Sound Studios in Fair Lawn, NJ)

Side 2:
08. Night Of The Living Dead (1981 recording session at Mix-O-Lydian in Boonton, NJ)
09. Skulls   (1981 recording session at Mix-O-Lydian in Boonton, NJ)
10. Violent World   (1981 recording session at Mix-O-Lydian in Boonton, NJ)
11. Horror Hotel   (Master Sound Productions in Franklin Square, NY from August 7th, 1980 through September 5th, 1980)
12. Ghouls Night Out   (Master Sound Productions in Franklin Square, NY from August 7th, 1980 through September 5th, 1980)
13. American Nightmare (June 1981 recording session done at Newfound Sound Studios in Fair Lawn, NJ)

Recording sessions in chronological order:

August 7th, 1980-September 5th, 1980@Master Sound Productions in Franklin Square, NY

Horror Hotel (same version from 3 Hits From Hell 7")
Ghouls Night Out (same version from 3 Hits From Hell 7")

Other songs recorded during this session were Halloween (eventually released on Legacy of Brutality), Vampira (eventually released on Misfits/Collection), I Turned Into a Martian (eventually released in the Misfits boxset), Skulls (eventually released in the Misfits boxset), London Dungeon (same version as 3 Hits From Hell), Night of the Living Dead (eventually released on Misfits/Collection), Astro Zombies (eventually released in the Misfits boxset), Where Eagles Dare (eventually released in the Misfits boxset), Violent World (eventually released in the Misfits boxset) and Halloween II (eventually released in the Misfits boxset); there were also known second takes done of Halloween, Ghouls Night Out and London Dungeon. In August/September 2001 producer/engineer Tom Bejgrowicz and engineer Alan Douches would take the original 16 track tapes, remix/master them into the cancelled 12 Hits From Hell album (September 2001)

Misfits/Collection

June 1981@Newfound Sound Studios in Fair Lawn, NJ

Devils Whorehouse (extra vocal track in the background, different instrumentation from later versions and the final "house" is absent)
American Nightmare (same version that would later be released on Legacy of Brutality)

Other songs recorded during this session were 20 Eyes (never officially released but found on bootlegs), I Turned Into a Martian (never officially released but found on bootlegs), Astro Zombies (never officially released but found on bootlegs), Nike A Go Go (never officially released but found on bootlegs), All Hell Breaks Loose (never officially released but found on bootlegs) and Hate Breeders (eventually released in the Misfits boxset).

Legacy of Brutality

August 1981@Mix-O-Lydian Studio in Boonton, NJ

20 Eyes (Glenn's final "There all the same" is absent)
I Turned Into A Martian
Astro Zombies
Vampira (more abrupt ending)
Nike A Go Go (has a high volume keyboard track, no guitar solo and a little more guitar at the end)

Other songs recorded during this session were an alternate version of Vampira (eventually released in the Misfits boxset), Devils Whorehouse (eventually released in the Misfits boxset) and an alternate version of Nike A Go Go (eventually released in the Misfits boxset).

Disc 3 of the Misfits boxset

1981@Mix-O-Lydian Studio in Boonton, NJ

All Hell Breaks Loose (guitars equal in both left and right)
Night Of The Living Dead
Skulls
Violent World

Other songs recorded during this session were 20 Eyes (unreleased), I Turned Into a Martian (eventually released on Misfits/Collection), Nike A Go Go (unreleased), Braineaters (unreleased), Die Die My Darling* (unreleased), Halloween (released on the Halloween 7" single) and Halloween II (released on the Halloween 7" single).

*an new mix of this recording would be used on the Die Die My Darling 12" single (May 1984) and subsequent releases of the Earth A.D. LP.

3 Hits From Hell 7", Halloween 7" single, Die Die My Darling 12" single

As the proto-album was being shopped around Glenn (and The Misfits) would eventually sign to Ruby/Slash to release their debut album. For the final release (Walk Among Us) Glenn threw out some of the songs on the proposed tracklisting as well as all of the mixes and instead took songs from previous sessions and overdubbed his own guitar in a January 1982 session at Quad Teck Studio in L.A.

The Misfits, August 1981; photo by Eerie Von

"Back in late-1979/early 1980, Doyle gave me the "Horror Business" and "Bullet" singles when I expressed interest in the Misfits. I dug the stuff a lot, but I craved more. Later in early 1981 he told me that he had a whole bunch of new Misfits stuff, as well as the unreleased Static Age music, and that I should check it out. At the time, I only had an 8-track player at my disposal, so he put all this incredible stuff on tape for me. The "new stuff" he spoke of was the MSP sessions and this is the sound and the songs I first fell in love with. The whole session had a great drum sound, good production, jackhammer bass and guitars all in perfect sync and incredible vocals. I played that tape constantly, I practiced drums to it and I even listened to it before basketball games - to psyche myself up!

The MSP sessions were a turning point for the Misfits and it was August of 1980, just a year and a half since the now legendary Static Age recordings. The band's sound had evolved and a great metamorphosis was about to be captured on tape. They were well
rehearsed, the songs were strong and the arrangements were simple - but extremely effective and powerful.

I remember Doyle riding his bicycle from Grove street in Lodi to my side of town with the 3 Hits From Hell single and poster under his arm the whole way. Right then he told me about the new "Rock-a-billy" track that they were working on (that would become "American Nightmare" but that's another story...).

The MSP sessions were ultimately used as demos for the Walk Among Us album (which came out in 1982). And as much as I love that album, I think these sessions have a feeling and a quality that the latter sessions would lack. These versions are special and they represent a moment when the Misfits created a sound all of their own - one that's still just as fresh and exciting today as it was back in the fall of 1980. I still listen to this session all the time....."~Eerie Von, 2001, liner notes from 12 Hits From Hell