Plan 9 Manmade Monster CD Review

*Originally written in 2008*

The closest thing to the original Misfits – California’s Plan 9 – has returned with a brand-new full length entitled, Manmade Monster. For those not in the know, Plan 9 was originally scheduled to do a one-off tribute show to the ‘Fits, but the band went over so well that the public demanded more! One honest listen to the band and you’ll understand why – they absolutely bleed the original Misfits sound and style.

Manmade Monster is sixteen tracks in length; however, the band re-recorded the majority of their first disc (8 Hits from Hell) for this release. Personally, I thought the first recordings were spectacular and didn’t need to be re-worked at all. But hey, if you want to follow in the Misfits’ shoes correctly, you must re-record song after song. The production is stronger and more decisive this time around with much cleaner mix.

The new tunes offered up here are “13 Shades of Black”, “Heart of Darkness”, “Revenants Rise”, “Black Dragon”, “She Never Sleeps” and “God Told Me to Kill”. All these tracks fit right in with we’ll now refer to as the Plan 9 legacy. “13 Shades” moves along at a neck-snapping pace while the lyrics show love to one Mr. Leatherface! “Revenants” is a mid-paced track like something Danzig would’ve written during his time in Samhain. Speaking of Samhain, the band does a great cover of the tune “Samhain” that makes my blood run cold! Keeping with the Misfits love, the band does a rendition of “Teenagers from Mars” and runs it right into “We Bite” without blinking an eye! The band also puts their own spin on “Skulls” on this album. Imagine Frank Sinatra and Pat Boone meeting up in one of those late-night jazz clubs and having one too many drinks and that’s about what it sounds like. Not necessarily my favorite, but it’s good for a spin every now and then.

For all of you who wanted the Misfits – you got Plan 9 – the next best thing going today as far as the original sound goes. Stop by the band’s facebook page, check out the tunes and pick the disc up. This album has also been pressed to vinyl, I have it and it’s worth having on your shelves. I strongly recommend checking out the band, don’t pass them up, this is pure fun!

~Black Angel