After four decades of acrimony, the main players in The Misfits saga (singer Glenn Danzig, bassist Jerry Only, guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein) finally reunited recently for a variety of high-profile gigs in the US, including major festival headline slots and massive sold out arena shows. But despite the obvious adoration and cultural relevance of the group, it looks unlikely that European audiences will get to see that original lineup any time soon, so we will happily make do with Only’s own version of the band making occasional appearances in Dublin. And while Only always celebrates his prolific back catalogue in entertaining fashion, he is usually the sole key member of the Misfits present onstage. So it proved an extra special treat for Misfits die-hards when we learned that Only’s brother and the band’s chief sonic architect, Doyle, would be making a rare visit to Dublin in the intimate confines of The Bowery with his own solo project.
Promoting his excellent new album Doyle II: As We Die, the guitarist’s monster riffs are embellished with the manic energy of singer Alex “Wolfman” Story, who works the limited space of the Bowery stage like a feral beast in a leather waistcoat. Story is an incredible frontman, engaging his audience with body and soul while the devoted assembly return their enthusiasm in kind. Doyle himself is as formidable a physical presence as his fierce guitar riffs are on record, with his significant muscle-bound six-foot-plus frame brutally punishing his instrument whilst prowling the stage blowing bubblegum with abandon.
Consisting of tracks from debut album Abominator and interspersed with new material such as 'Beast Like Me', 'Witchcraft' and 'Headhunter', Doyle’s set was a frenzied, fast-paced display of metal might from a living legend of the genre. Preceding the headliner was the generous addition of three impressive support bands including Vulpynes, So Long Until the Seance and Off the Cross, the inclusion of whom meant for a great evening’s worth of ear-crushing horror punk and hardcore metal in anticipation of Doyle’s manic monster madness.