Samhain | |
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Background information | |
Origin | United States |
Genres | |
Years active | 1983–1987 (changed their name to Danzig) (partial reunions: 1999, 2011, 2012, 2014) |
Labels | |
Spinoffs | Danzig |
Spinoff of | Misfits |
Past members | Glenn Danzig Steve Zing Eerie Von Pete "Damien" Marshall London May John Christ Brian Baker Lyle Preslar |
Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from The Misfits. Glenn Danzig originally planned Samhain as a side project with Eerie Von. [1] After the Misfits' contentious 1983 dissolution, Samhain became Danzig's full-time band.
Samhain catalogs a transitional period in Glenn Danzig's musical career, bridging the gap between the punk rock/horror punk of the Misfits and the dark, heavy metal- and blues-influenced sound of Danzig. Samhain's lyrics were much darker than those of the Misfits, with themes rooted in paganism and the occult and eventually the horrors of reality, as opposed to the sometimes cartoonish ghouls and ghosts of the Misfits. [2]
Both Samhain and its successor, Danzig, use the same horned skull image originally drawn by artist Michael Golden for the cover of the 1984 comic book The Saga of Crystar No. 8, published by Marvel Comics. The font often used in the wordmarks of Samhain, and later Danzig, is taken from the film The Giant Gila Monster . Danzig took the name of the band from the Irish month of November and pre-Christian, Celtic festival Samhain, the origin of the modern Halloween. Despite the festival being pronounced "sau-win", the band's name is often pronounced as "sam-hane". Glenn Danzig has said that both pronunciations are correct. [3]
Samhain released two full-length albums and one EP during their three-year career as an active band. Danzig has said that he wrote two songs ("Death Comes Ripping" and "Bloodfeast") with the intention of using them on the first Samhain album, but instead recorded them with the Misfits for the Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood album in order to round out that band's final series of recordings and release a full album. [2]
Samhain's debut album, Initium , was released on lead singer Glenn Danzig's independent record label, Plan 9, in August 1984. In various interviews Danzig states that the album's title, which translates from Latin to English as "beginning", represents his new start after disbanding his prior band, The Misfits, in 1983. Most of the final track, "Archangel", was actually recorded in March 1981, and was originally meant to either be a Misfits song featuring Dave Vanian (who never did vocals for the song) or a track for the band The Damned. The track "Horror Biz" likewise dates to Danzig's Misfits era, as it is a new version of "Horror Business" with different musical arrangements. The album was recorded at Reel Platinum studio in Lodi, New Jersey, excluding the introduction which was recorded at Eerie Von's home on a four track cassette. [4]
In 1985, Samhain released their only EP, Unholy Passion . That next year, they released their second studio album titled Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire . The album contains a re-recorded version of the Misfits' "Halloween II". AllMusic wrote that the album "continues to be an influence for both punk and thrash bands". [5] The track "Mother of Mercy" was featured in the 2009 video game Guitar Hero: Metallica . Metallica co-founder James Hetfield lists November-Coming-Fire as one of his top ten albums of all time.
In 1986, Samhain was signed by Rick Rubin to his Def Jam Recordings label. Rubin at first wished only to sign Danzig. He had hoped to assemble a "super-group" with the talented vocalist at the center, but Danzig refused and also refused to agree to the record deal unless bassist Eerie Von could remain in the group. [6] Rubin and Danzig agreed, however, that the band's sound should be taken in a different direction, and so guitarist Damien Marshall was replaced by John Christ. Sometime in 1987, Danzig decided to change the name of Samhain to match his surname, Danzig, a move that would prevent him from ever again having to start anew, regardless of lineup changes. When London May was replaced with Chuck Biscuits on drums, Samhain officially ceased to exist, and the first Danzig lineup was complete, [7] which then prompted the band to sign to Def American Recordings in 1988.
In 1990, Samhain's final album, Final Descent , was released. Material for the album was completed in stages from 1986 to 1990, with one song ("Death... in its Arms") recorded by the band Danzig, including drummer Chuck Biscuits (who had never been a member of Samhain) during the sessions for Danzig II: Lucifuge . On all other tracks, a drum machine was used. As much of the material for Final Descent was intended for a planned Samhain Grim album, its sound and songwriting bridges the gap between 1986's November Coming Fire and 1988's Danzig . In its first pressings, Final Descent also featured new remixed versions of the then out-of-print Unholy Passion EP. Possibly to avoid potential legal disputes with former guitarist Damien Marshall, Danzig had overdubbed/re-recorded all of the original guitar tracks with his own guitar playing. He also created a new track, a remix of the bass and vocal tracks from "I Am Misery", entitled "Misery Tomb".
When the Samhain box set was released in 2000, these remixes were given a CD of their own, taking the place of the original Unholy Passion EP, while the backend of Final Descent was filled out with four unreleased Samhain Grim era tracks, all featuring London May on drums. Among these were earlier, more abrasive arrangements of the eventual Danzig classics "Twist of Cain" and "Possession", a cover of Elvis Presley's "Trouble" (later re-recorded for the 1993 Danzig EP Thrall-Demonsweatlive ), and a faster version of "Lords of the Left Hand".
The band briefly reunited in November 1999 to celebrate the release of the Samhain box set. They went on one national tour with the band Danzig headlining. The lineup consisted of Danzig, Zing, May, and then Danzig guitarist Todd Youth. Marshall was initially asked to play guitar, but couldn't as he was already on tour with Iggy Pop.
Samhain would reunite again in October 2011 and 2012 as part of a series of shows called the Danzig Legacy performances. The shows consisted of a set from Danzig, Samhain, and a set of Misfits songs with Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein. Both London May and Steve Zing were part of this reunion.
Samhain reunited for the fourth time to play Riot Fest in September 2014. [8] At that show, they played their debut album Initium in its entirety. [9] The band also played a series of West Coast and East Coast shows from September to November. [7] Peter Adams of the bands Baroness and Valkyrie handled guitar duties.
Another partial reunion took place in 2011 on the Danzig Legacy television special during a set of Samhain songs; "Samhain", and "To Walk the Night". The lineup remained the same with London May and Steve Zing sharing bass and drum duties, and with Tommy Victor playing guitar.
Samhain has been classified as death rock, [10] horror punk, [11] heavy metal, [12] and gothic rock, [12] among others. Their style was described by AllMusic as a fusion of punk and heavy metal with elements of "goth". [12]
Sometimes, Glenn Danzig could be seen donning a horned leather S&M mask, and occasionally he and his bandmates went onstage covered in faux blood. [13] Danzig would play guitar on live performances of the song "Archangel", while the regular guitarist strapped on a bass guitar to perform a second bassline. [4]
The Misfits are an American punk rock band often recognized as the pioneers of the horror punk subgenre, blending punk and other musical influences with horror film themes and imagery. The group was founded in 1977 in Lodi, New Jersey, by vocalist, songwriter and keyboardist Glenn Danzig. Over the next six years, Danzig and bassist Jerry Only were the group's main members through numerous personnel changes. During this period, they released several EPs and singles, and with Only's brother Doyle as guitarist, the albums Walk Among Us (1982) and Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood (1983), both considered touchstones of the early-1980s hardcore punk movement. The band has gone through many lineup changes over the years, with bassist Jerry Only being the only constant member in the group.
Danzig is an American heavy metal band led by former Samhain and Misfits singer Glenn Danzig. Formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey, the group early on became a unique voice in the rock scene, playing a bluesy, doom-laden metal with Glenn Danzig crooning in the style of Roy Orbison and Elvis Presley. After a major hit with a live version of its 1988 song "Mother", the band experimented with industrial music but later returned to heavy metal. As of 2023, Danzig has released 12 studio albums, two EPs, one live album, and one compilation album.
Glenn Allen Anzalone, better known by his stage name Glenn Danzig, is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He is the founder of the rock bands Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. He owns the Evilive record label as well as Verotik, an adult-oriented comic book publishing company.
"Night of the Living Dead" is the fourth single by the horror punk band the Misfits. It was released on October 31, 1979, on singer Glenn Danzig's label Plan 9 Records. 2,000 copies of the single were pressed on black 7" vinyl. The night of its release the band performed at Irving Plaza in New York City and sold the single at the door.
Thrall-Demonsweatlive is an EP by American heavy metal band Danzig. It was released in 1993 on Def American Recordings and has been certified Gold.
Initium is the 1984 debut album by American deathrock band Samhain, released on lead singer Glenn Danzig's independent record label Plan 9. In various interviews, Danzig stated that the album's title, which translates from Latin to English as "beginning", represents his new start after disbanding his prior band, Misfits, in 1983. Most of the final track, "Archangel", was actually recorded in March 1981 with Jerry Only, and was originally meant to either be a Misfits song featuring Dave Vanian or a track for the band the Damned. The track "Horror Biz" likewise dates to Danzig's Misfits era, as it is a new version of "Horror Business" with different musical arrangements. The album was recorded at Reel Platinum studio in Lodi, New Jersey, excluding the introduction which was recorded at Eerie Von's home on a four track cassette.
Unholy Passion is the first EP and second overall release by American deathrock band Samhain, Glenn Danzig's band after the disbanding of the Misfits. According to bassist Eerie Von in his photographic book Misery Obscura, the album was "a departure from our first release: more underground, more tribal. A step back further into the darkness". The song "All Hell" is a re-recorded version of the Misfits' "All Hell Breaks Loose".
Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire is the second studio album by American deathrock band Samhain. It was released in February 1986, through lead singer Glenn Danzig's independent record label, Plan 9.
Final Descent is the third and final studio album by American deathrock band Samhain, first released in 1990, more than three years after lead singer Glenn Danzig and bassist Eerie Von had recruited guitarist John Christ and drummer Chuck Biscuits to form Danzig.
The self-titled box set of American deathrock band Samhain was released in 2000, more than 13 years after the band effectively ceased recording and performing. The set's five CDs and one VHS tape compile nearly all of the band's original catalog, newly remastered from the original master tapes, as well as previously unreleased material, the latter of which includes a live CD and a VHS video cassette of live footage.
Eerie Von is an American musician and photographer best known as the original bassist for the heavy metal band Danzig. His preferred bass is the Fender Jazz Bass.
Collection II, also known as Misfits II, a compilation album of songs by the American punk rock band Misfits. Released on November 14, 1995, it serves as a companion album to the band's previous compilation, Collection I. Both compilations collect all the early singles and the entire Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood album, and are meant to complement Walk Among Us and Legacy of Brutality with little overlap. All the early singles are supposed to be represented, although alternative versions of some songs are used instead of the original releases.
Mourning Noise is an American horror- and hardcore punk band from Lodi, New Jersey, notable for drummer Steve Zing. Active around the time of the Misfits, Mourning Noise were strongly influenced by the Misfits as drummer Steve Zing lived very close to Jerry Only and Doyle's house and Steve went to high school with Doyle. Their music was typically fast and melodic. Mourning Noise released only a small amount of material, typically as 7-inch singles, apart from the 1998 collection album Death Trip Delivery. Steve later went on to play for Samhain, Son of Sam, The Undead, Chyna, Doomtree, and later, Danzig.
Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood is the second studio album to be released by American punk rock band Misfits. It is the last album the group recorded with founding member Glenn Danzig on vocals, who issued the vinyl record on his Plan 9 label in December 1983, two months after he played his last concert with the band. Though the original album runs under 15 minutes in length, it is listed as an LP.
Kryst the Conqueror was an American Christian metal project formed in August 1987 by two former members of the horror punk band, The Misfits. The project was led by bassist Jerry Only, who adopted a new stage name, "Mo the Great", and his younger brother, guitarist Doyle Wolfgang von Frankenstein. The band fused fantastical and sci-fi imagery with religious themes and messages. The band has also been referred to as a "guitar shop project", as Only and Doyle constantly tweaked and refined their instruments throughout the band's existence, in an attempt to create what they felt would be the ultimate bass and guitar.
"Halloween" is the fifth single by the American punk rock band Misfits. It was released on October 31, 1981 on singer Glenn Danzig's label Plan 9 Records. 5,000 copies of the single were pressed on black 7-inch vinyl, some of which included a lyrics sheet. This was the first Misfits release to use their Famous Monsters of Filmland-inspired logo, as well as the first to refer to the band as simply "Misfits".
Steve Zing is an American drummer and bassist. He has performed with Implosion, Mourning Noise, and The Undead before joining Samhain.
Son of Sam is an American horror punk band that is a side project created by Todd Youth in 2000, during his tenure as the guitarist for Danzig. The band's initial line up featured members of Samhain, Danzig, and AFI. Much like its members' other work, Son of Sam plays in the horror punk style, and also infuses metal and deathrock elements into their music. The name of the band was inspired by the iconic serial killer David Berkowitz, known as the notorious "Son of Sam". This also draws reference to the band Samhain.
Rosemary's Babies was an American hardcore punk band formed in Lodi, New Jersey in 1980. Its members included J.R.(Vincent C Paladino) - vocals, Post Mortem - bass, CA Richie - guitar, and Eerie Von - drums. The band was active until 1983 and produced a 7-inch EP titled "Blood Lust", released on the band's own Ghastly Records. A 2004 CD, Talking to the Dead included tracks from the EP, previously unreleased songs, and tracks recorded live at CBGBs NYC May 15, 1983.