In 1977, the original misfits wedded the melodic use of power chords to a B-movie aesthetic. Their second record, Walk Among Us, is a classic because singer Glenn Danzig avoided mere camp by injecting songs like "Mommy, Can I Go Out and Kill Tonight?" and "Vampira" with adolescent lust, range and nastiness. After a Halloween show in 1983, the Misfits broke up, leaving behind a fanatic cult following. A coffin-shape box set – a fitting epitaph – brought together most of their recordings.

End of story? Not exactly. The Misfits have returned from the grave – resurrected not by Satan but by litigation. After a nine-year fight, bass player Jerry Only, a founding member, and his brother Doyle were allowed to record and tour as the Misfits (adding Michale Graves on vocals and a new drummer). Graves does a credible imitation of Glenn Danzig. But the singer's generic vocals are as likely to career into Dexter Holland territory or a pointless Elvis imitation ("Day of the Dead"). The band seems desperate to claim the Misfits' self-proclaimed legacy of brutality ("Walk Among Us"). The musical formula hasn't changed: some old-style punk, a little metal and an occasional all-out thrasher. But this album feels less like the Misfits and more like Elvira. The song titles read like a quick trip through the video store ("The Haunting," "This Island Earth," "The Hunger," "Mars Attacks," etc.). There are few hooks and no memorable songs on American Psycho. All this longtime fan can say is, "Quick, Van Helsing, a stake." (RS 760)

RICHARD ABOWITZ