I have to admit that I love the Misfits and with this in mind 'The Devil's Rain' will have to be an utter dog for me not to shout from the rooftop that I recommend this album with every fist pumping "wooaah wooaah" I can muster.

Clothed in a rather splendid Arthur Suydam illustrated mini gatefold LP style sleeve, complete with a splendid glow in the dark poster you can appreciate the effort that's gone into making this release look cool. "The Devil's Rain" looks so tempting and lovely I can hardly wait to pop it into the CD player. Of course I quickly afford myself a little chuckle at how awkward Dez looks in his zombie make up and how cool new recruit, drummer Goat looks in his.

The Misfits last foray into the studio, 2003's 'Project 1950' was a bit of a dodgy collection of 50's croon classics bludgeoned to within an inch of their lives by Jerry and Co. In fact on the tour that followed when I asked Marky Ramone to sign my copy he asked me what I thought of the vocals on the album. I spinelessly replied that I thought they were great, after all he was the drummer from two of my favourite bands. With withering look he replied "Great? Right..." Okay we both knew that Jerry shouted his way through that album and it was pretty shite but hero worship and honesty have never been great bedfellows!

Okay, eight years on and Jerry is now the band's longest serving front man, but the same question exists and that is "can he really sing?"

'The Devil's Rain' doesn't really kick into gear until track three, 'Land Of The Dead', not that the album's title track and follow up 'Vivid Red' are particularly bad, they're just not that great and certainly not what you'd expect from an album that has been so long in the making. The aforementioned 'Land Of The Dead' is one of the album's standout tracks being a re-recording of last year's single version, minus the drumming of the now departed classic Misfits era drummer Robo. Next up, a pair of soon to be Misfts classics 'Black Hole' and single 'Twilight Of The Dead' come complete with the big "wooaah woooaah" chorus that you've come to expect from the band.

Five tracks in and its all pretty good. Jerry is making the most of his limited vocal range, he can hold a tune but he's not a natural lead singer and that's where so much of the potential of this album falls on it's arse. I guess you could be charitable and compare Jerry's vocal performance to that of bland Dave Vanian. But that's being a bit generous.

Unfortunately 'Curse Of The Mummy's Hand' and 'Cold In Hell' are a little step back into the world of average and 'Unexplained' quite simply borders on awful. Sadly this is the sign of things to come. 'Dark Shadows' is an average Ramones styled ballad while 'Father' is an okay Graves era sounding workout. 'Jack The Ripper' is the first of two songs written and sang by Dez and is a total throw away with a grating guitar solo that cuts through the light weight Ed Stasium production like a hot knife through lard. That said, Dez's voice is as good as, if not more colourful than Mr Only's. So not all bad.

Fortunately 'Monkey's Paw' is another Ramones style ditty that lifts the album back up again with its "girl group of the 50's" vibe. Another album highlight. 'Where Do They Go' takes things one step further with Jerry's daughter and ex wife on backing vocals providing the full Shangri-Las hook.

We're getting close to the end know with things really hanging in the balance.

'Sleepwalkin'' is a slow durgy bluesy number, while 'Ghost Of Frankenstein' is the closest the band comes to capturing the aggressive undercurrent of previous Misfits incarnations. Last up we get Dez's second offering 'Death Ray' and oh dear, it's another sub-standard throw away.

I'm sorry to say that 'The Devil's Rain' could have been so much better had Grave's been involved. His dynamic vocal range and ear for a good tune is currently being needlessly squandered by Marky Ramone in his covers band. Boy what a waste.......

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