Artist
The Morlocks
San Diego, United States
The Morlocks is a music group from San Diego, United States. Their discography on Gatefold includes 6 records.
6
Albums tracked
0
In collections
—
Since
Biography
1. The Morlocks emerged from the ashes of early-1980s California garage band The Gravedigger 5, but with a heavier sound, more murderous songs, and the trademark snarl of singer Leighton Koizumi. And then they disappeared, back into the grave. At one point there were even reports that Leighton was dead! Stabbed to death in the parking lot after a show. But the Morlocks are back in action, as of 2007/08, with all members alive and more or less intact!
The Arc of The Morlocks
The pivots — what forced The Morlocks to reinvent.
The Ratty Garage Peak
Emerge dropped in '85 and sounded like it was recorded inside a trash can filled with broken glass and cheap speed. The band took the skeleton of the Voxx Records scene and stripped it of any lingering pop sensibilities. It was pure confrontation, driven by a rhythm section that sounded like it was falling down the stairs in perfect time. You hear the desperation on tracks like 'Is It Me,' where the production is so thin it actually makes the performance feel more dangerous.
The Lazarus Effect
After a massive gap fueled by Koizumi’s total disappearance from the music industry, the band reformed and eventually tracked Easy Listening for the Underachiever in 2008. They weren't trying to reclaim their youth; they were leaning into a heavier, more mechanical stomp that swapped jangle for pure filth. The lineup had shifted entirely, bringing in guys who played with more precision but kept the original's nihilistic streak. It forced a transition from the '60s worship of the San Diego days into a more robust, modern garage-rock machine that could actually survive a European tour circuit.
Influences
- The Seeds — The Morlocks covered 'Can't Seem to Make You Mine' and 'Pushin' Too Hard' across various live sets and sessions. Sky Saxon’s frantic, repetitive vocal delivery is the blueprint for Koizumi’s own style. You hear it in the way they lock into a single, hypnotic riff and refuse to let go until the room catches fire.
- The Music Machine — Sean Bonniwell’s use of aggressive fuzz and the band's all-black aesthetic was the primary visual and sonic template for the early Morlocks. The biting, staccato guitar parts on Emerge are a direct descendant of the 'Talk Talk' sessions. They took Bonniwell’s precision and smeared it with dirt.
- The Stooges — Koizumi has cited Iggy Pop as the reason he started performing with such a volatile, physical presence. The raw, unhinged energy of Fun House is baked into the DNA of the Submerged Alive record. It’s that specific brand of Detroit nihilism applied to a California garage setting.
- The Yardbirds — The Morlocks recorded a blistering version of 'Psychotic Reaction,' which itself is a Count Five song heavily modeled on the Yardbirds' 'rave-up' style. The feedback-heavy climax of their longer jams comes straight from the Jeff Beck era of the band. It's about that specific moment where the blues structure collapses into noise.
- The Blues Magoos — The band’s name is often tied to the H.G. Wells creatures, but their sonic palette borrows the electrified, organ-driven grit of the Magoos' early psych-garage work. You hear the influence in the way the Farfisa organ fights for space against the fuzz guitar. They took the Magoos' garage roots and stripped away the flower-power nonsense.
Discography
Their records — most-collected first.
Related artists
Around the web
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