Forced Exposure# 9 - Winter '86
MORLOCKS - Emerge
"...These San Diego pus-pushers could beat the figurative tar out of most any Swede garagetet, and these days that's sayin' plenty. Juicily assaultive guitar bucks big effin' leads out the generally air-pulverizin' monolithic din and their covers of even the toppest pupe...can scuffle with the originals. The best new six-oh-grunt since you name it." ...Byron Coley

Sounds (UK) - January 18, 1986
MORLOCKS- Emerge
"The Morlocks have emerged from the ashes of the Gravedigger V, so if you dug those guys' records then you'll cream over this. Some of the material is over familiar but the way the spirit blasts out of their collective engine compensates...." ...Lindsay Hutton

Maximum Rock & Roll - # 32, January 1986
MORLOCKS - Emerge
"Although I am not a big fan of the '80's garage rehash scene, I must give credit to this band for capturing a very hard-edged raw sound much like the classic '60's punk sound. The screams and distortion put a lot of the pop garage bands to shame...." ...Tim Yohannon

T.M.T. - Sounds column - Winter, 1986
THE MORLOCKS:Emerge (Midnight). Aggressive, no nonsense garage punk from this off-shoot of the Gravedigger Five. These guys have recaptured the feel of primal Stones, Watchband, and Pretty Things, with Leighton's firey vocals completely in command. The Morlocks have a killer sound that can't be beat. They mean business." ...Charles P. Lamey

Sound Choice #4, Spring 1986
"This offshoot of the now defunct Gravedigger Five have come up with a sizzling debut, recorded in two days. Rocking in the grand tradition of the Seeds and Chocolate Watchband, the Morlock's stockpile of guitar riffs is impressive and Leighton's lead vocals are brutally nasty" - Charles P. Lamey

Option March/April 1986
"1968 returns again with the Morlocks' psychedelic garage sound. A little like Paul Revere and the Raiders' most hard-rocking songs drenched in feedback and screams, and played at 45 RPM. Speaking of which, even though the inner label on the record clearly reads in black and pink that this is a 45, it is recorded at 33 1/3. Don't let this freak you out." - Randy Greif

The Michigan Daily
"Morlocks vocalist Leighton sounds as if he's been gargling with Drano. Surely, the Morlocks are one of the evillest-sounding garage practitioners around today. Ten tons of fuzztone guitars and Leighton's banshee wails make OEmerge& the ultimate fix for anyone in need of heavy duty guitar noise thrills. However, beyond the thrill of it being the rare disc that actually deserves to be turned up to 11, Emerge doesn't satisfy. There's pretty much predictable riffling on tracks like 'Born Loser' and 'It Don't Take Much,' although the soloing approaches something near demonic. Like so many garage bands, The Morlocks seem too concerned with accurate emulation of '60's sounds (including 60's wall-of-sludge production values) to really take off. They seem to take far too much pride in their ability to ape every component of garage punk style to come off as a satisfying listen. Definitely something intriguing in the sound, but something definitely missing as well." ...Julie Jurrjens


Beef #18,m Spring 1986
"Yeaagh! Is an adequate reaction to the San Diego denizens the Morlocks who are also definitely a live band scene. The guys could be right off the "Back From the Grave" series (a must for all collectors - probably available in some stores or write to Midnight Records to order a complete set.) These cats can wail! I was a little over powered at first, but it's grabbed me since and now I'm a fan. The Morlocks are a real rave-up - truly garage thrash. Singer Leighton goes through his paces with a voice that knows no pain. The guitars play full steam on just about every number. The Morlocks are a sort of cross between the Standells, the Count Five and the Phantom. It would be hard to say which cuts I favor - probably "By My Side, "Judgement Day", and "Born Loser." The Morlocks are supersonic!" ...Stephen Pocock

Hartbeat (German Magazine) April, 1986
"Excitement, steam, crescendo!! Swirling guitar lines fuzzed out, screaming vocals buzzed out, my goodness, this is tough! The Morlocks 'Emerge' like a hurricane, thunder, and lightning that cannot be stopped. The toughest ever !?!? A power trip par excellence, no sophistication at all, magnetic bashing, teenpunk at its wildest. If you detect a melody, it's just to keep you mind at ease. Unbelievable that this is just the beginning of their career, if there's more of the same (or as they promise, even wilder) to come, than help us Lord. It will be thoroughly killing. 'Emerge' sounds like a "live" album though it's a studio recording, but they tota
lly succeeded capturing their basic and raw live sound on record, thus making th
e whole LP sound like the Hysterics' 'Everything's There' at 200 MPH with the exhaust just bits and pieces. This is throughbred new teenpunk, compromiseless, siezing, shaking. A tour de force and a masterpiece in its simplicity. 1-2-3-4, dum-dadum-dadadadadadum! My good Lord, I love this one, wouldn't give it away for 50 % of my record collection. Join the Morlocks' International Fan club, 6320 Twin Lake Dr., San Diego, CA 92119, USA, and learn more about their history (Leighton Koizumi - lead screams) and Ted Friedman (Backing guitar) both were part of the legendary Gravedigger V), their aims (conquering the world in one go) and their future projects (a top ten album)." ....Hans Jurgen Klitsch