A self-described "brutal horrorpunk" outfit in garish makeup and costume from the city of Koln, Germany, 
the Crimson Ghosts are hugely beholden to 
the Misfits, so much so that parts of their debut album 
Leaving the Tomb could almost be mistaken for a 
Misfits tribute record. This is no bad thing, since succeeding generations of bands have watered down and twisted 
the Misfits' sound so much that most of the current-day grindcore and death metal bands who pledge their allegiance to 
Glenn Danzig and crew actually don't sound much like 
the Misfits did. What makes the unapologetically derivative 
Leaving the Tomb so refreshing is that 
the Crimson Ghosts know their source material so well that songs like "Reborn of Trioxine" and "The King of Skull Island" sound not like tepid rewrites of better 
Misfits songs, but like fresh material in the same style. The particular highlight is "Necrobabe," the album's best mixture of carnival-barker vocals, comic book lyrics, awesomely punky riffage and a surprisingly catchy chorus tying the whole thing together. The Crimson Ghosts remember a key aspect of the punk-horror nexus that escapes too many people, both fans and detractors alike: this stuff is supposed to be, in its own freaky way, fun. And that's what 
Leaving the Tomb provides. ~ Stewart Mason