Doyle

Abominator

Monsterman Records, 2013

Doyle, or more precisely, Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein, guitarist of Misfits fame, has released his first solo effort under his own moniker. Stepping away from the GorgeousFrankenstein project, this album and line-up seem a more fully realized concept.

Dr. Chud is on drums and back in the mix, to great effect. With more range than most singers in the horror genre, Alex Story is handling vocal duties. He easily delivers rough and tumble growls as well as coarse melodies. And bassist Graham Reaper, provides the right amount of low end to make this a formidable line-up.

Keeping in step with the metal edges The Misfits unveiled on American Psycho, andFamous Monsters, there is a full, thick sound and much of the material tends to lean to the mid-tempo or slightly slower, giving the songs more room to breathe.

Title track “Abominator,” opens up with an anguished and tormented howl, and if you wanted to read into it, this is the moment Doyle is re-born.

“Dreaming Dead Girls”is lyrically probably closest to any Misfits number on the disc. “What turns me on the most/ is a girl without a pulse/I don’t need no heart beat beating inside/an empty chest is enough.”

“Valley of Shadows” is another standout track. There’s a memorable squonking guitar riff that opens it and who can resist the rhyming of ‘gallows’ with ‘shadows’. Back to back with “Land of the Dead,” another metal number, great for getting the heart rate up.

“Cemeterysexxx” chronicles the kink of out of doors, open air romance, which can only be provided by tombstones for ambiance.

Much of this CD tends to be a bit more evenly paced, and it serves the material well. “Learn to Bleed,” and “Headhunter” are really the only two songs that venture into breakneck punk speeds.

“Hope Hell is Warm” is a solid trudging metal sing along to close out the disc. Blast this at your Halloween party and the trick or treaters will think twice before deciding if it’s worth the walk up your driveway for that piece of candy. Doyle has delivered an album worthy of his musical legacy and one which will make him a respected artist in his own right. In the past, his post-Misfits material has fallen short, but this is solid through and through. The rare CD that improves with each listening.