Three weeks into the Halloween season without so much of a mention of anything Glenn Danzig?? That should be illegal!
As I get older (and somewhat wiser), I have grown to really appreciate Glenn Danzig's lesser-known second band, Samhain. Much darker and more complex than The Misfits (whom I still love!), with a fuller goth/horror rock sound. It was the perfect mix of the raw, unproduced sound of The Misfits and the darker, more mature subjects of Danzig. Samhain is definitely my sweet spot come Halloween season.
And at the top of the Samhain list is the original mix of "Unholy Passion," the first song off of the Unholy Passion EP released in 1985. This mix was raw! Lots of reverb with a unique flat echo on both the drums and guitar. But the kicker are the chimes at the end, adding the prefect creepy element to complete yet another Glenn Danzig masterpiece.
(For reference, the entire EP was remixed for the later Samhain boxset, and this song was "cleaned up" removing all of that glorious rawness. Skip it and go for the original.)
So tonight I'm processing all of this year's haunt photos (tune in tomorrow!) and listening to some Samhain. What a great band, what a great record (and cover art), and what a truly great song. Some of Glenn Danzig's finest work... Enjoy!
Final Samhain Saturday track for the night! This track was scheduled to be on their unreleased final album, Samhain Grim, that was planned for 1988 (it was later released as a bootleg album called Final Descent in 1990). Danzig fans should recognize this track, because after the break-up of Samhain in 1987, Glenn and Eerie Von went on to form Danzig, rerecording this track for the 1988 release of Danzig... but honestly, I love the raw, unpolished sound of this version better!
No mistaking what THIS track is about! Samhain Saturday track number 4. Title track from their 1985 EP. This is the original (and much better) version of this song. I absolutely love the chimes in this track. They just sound so evil! WARNING: There is some explicit art in the video clip below. It was the original explicit art that was featured on the cover of the record. So if you're easily offended, please turn back now. But if you're totally awesome, scroll down and press play! # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Last Saturday, I decided to throw down some tracks from The Misfits. So many good tunes. So many memories... For today, I thought I'd keep the horror punk theme going. Today I'm doing Samhain Saturday! Samhain. Glenn Danzig's short-lived band between The Misfits and Danzig. So underrated, but so, so good! Gonna start with my favorite Samhain track to get things going...
So here it is, November 2nd. Halloween has passed with barely a whimper due to rain, rain and more rain and a last-minute rescheduling of the annual neighborhood Trick or Treat. Morale was somewhat low this year, as time constraints really put a damper on the building season and enthusiasm seemed to be waning among all of us. But as I check the weather, tomorrow's updated forecast is actually calling for sun and dry skies. A look at the clock tells me that in a mere 20 hours, the highlight of the entire season will finally commence. Highbury Cemetery will rise again. The props are neatly organized in the basement and garage and a rough drawing of what goes where is almost done. The lights are all set and ready to go and all of the animated props that we are using are fully functional (at least for now). A few minor finishing touches and tomorrow the cemetery will once again spring to life. We will finally have our trick or treat. It has been a strange Halloween season thus far. With the addition of our newest cemetery member, I really struggled with a shortened list of props to put up this year. I had a tough time admitting that I'd have to put a smaller haunt up. But maybe it's just what I needed. My gloom is turning the corner and I'm viewing this as a chance to hit the rest button. It will give me a chance to step back and re-evaluate everything we have. After a closer examination and a year to plan, I really think 2013 could be a breakout year for us. It will be our tenth year, so I really want to take it to the next level. But that's 363 more days away. I've got a show to do in 20 hours!
I wanted to do a quick recap of a few things I had been gathering before I call it a night and prepare for tomorrow's transformation.
To start, I was really excited to do my first makeup job. I have been doing my own zombie makeup for years, but oddly enough I have never done makeup for anyone else. So last Saturday, I got the chance. A friend had seen a few of my zombie faces from years past and wanted one of her own. So I gathered up my kit and went to work. I had roughly two hours to get it done and I was actually really happy with what I came up with:
Before:
After:
I also had a chance to sit down tonight and watch the new Chiller home haunter documentary, The American Scream. I wasn't sure what to expect, as the previews had me thinking that it portrayed home haunters as a bunch goofballs (oh wait, what? We are a bunch of goofballs??), but after watching it I was very surprised. I really, really liked it. In searching for a word that best describes it, I actually have to say "heartwarming." Each of the guys who were featured had their quirks and at times it was a little bit hard to watch, but the film did an excellent job of revealing the down-to-earth nature of each of them and their reasons for why they do what they do every Halloween. It's funny because I think I could have just as easily been in that documentary, as my reasons are the same: family and fun!
And finally, I'd like to thank everyone who stopped by and helped us celebrate the annual Countdown to Halloween. We didn't post every day, but we sure had fun sharing our little nuggets when we did post. We had a ton of visitors and we even picked up some new followers. We hope you enjoyed what we had to offer up. I have a few more posts that I need to get to, so stop by again. We'll keep this party going until that lesser holiday with lights and decorated trees and some other things we know nothing about is here! :)
Now I'm going to end this post with some traditional Halloween music. Samhain, The Misfits, and of course, Jan Terri! Highbury Cemetery 2012 photos will be up early next week. See you then!
Music has been an enormous influence on my life. It helped shape me, for better or for worse, into the person I am today. I have a closet full of punk vinyl that I have been collecting for 22 years, and it just keeps growing. I will frequently post entries related to music, starting here.
What would Halloween be without The Misfits and Samhain?
A cold, weathered hand pierces the rust-laden earth of a late autumn night. Reanimated decay becomes the evening's guide. Masked faces bask in the fiery glow of a jack-o-lantern's illumination. A lifeless finger points the direction toward the next porch-lit house. For this is the night of ghouls and goblins and tricks and treats. This is the night of Hallowe'en...
