plan 9. pl9-04 / 10 tracks / aug 1984

CD: plan 9. pl9-cd2 / jul 15 1987 (first version)

RI: ? / 2005 (?) (bootleg)

Feat. Lyle Preslar on Guitar. Pressings: #1 - 3 test pressings on black with “6/84” matrix numbers. These have the original mix of “Archangel”. #2 - 5000 on black vinyl, 15-20 on black with white veins, 40-55 on black/white marble vinyl, 100 on white vinyl. These are approximate numbers as the colors just fade from black to white. Plan 9 logo only (not Caroline). This is the only pressing that came with a lyric sheet, at least some copies (different sources claim 500 or 5000 copies with insert). #3 - 500 on red vinyl, 10 (or more) copies on “pink” vinyl, actually just a lighter shade of red - you’d actually have to compare the copies to see the difference. A few copies have the B side labels glued off-center. #4 - Unknown number on black vinyl. Caroline address on sleeve, “6-23-89” in runout grooves. Very few (4 known to exist) have alternate “text only” labels instead of the graphics labels. #5 - Unknown number on black vinyl, “S-25533” and “S-25534” in runout grooves. More recent copies have a bar code on the sleeve. 3 different CD versions: #1 w/ remixed/rerecorded Unholy Passion tracks that also appear on the Final Descent CD; #2 with Unholy Passion (only one track); #3 w/o bonus tracks. Very few made of CD version #2. Bootleg LP is a picture disc.

The debut release by Glenn Danzig's second band. While the Misfits were just thrashing out towards the end, Samhain's music is a lot more distinct again, returning to more melodies and an eerie atmosphere. I have some problems with the singing/howling, and the recording/mix is kind of strange, but even though this never reaches the heights of the early Misfits stuff it's still a good record. [8]  

Erstes Werk von Glenn Danzigs zweiter Band; gefällt mir schon wieder wesentlich besser als Wolfsblood, der Wiedererkennungswert der Songs ist einfach viel höher (obwohl sich das Gesinge manchmal eher nach einem Rudel Wölfe anhört). Der Sound soll wahrscheinlich horrormäßig sein, ich finde ihn fürchterlich dumpf. Danzig läuft zwar nicht mehr zu Bestform auf, aber abwechslungsreich, melodisch und ungewöhnlich ist diese Platte allemal. Nehmen.

Tracks: initium / samhain / black dream / all murder, all guts, all fun / macabre / he-who-can-not-be-named // horror biz / the shift / the howl / archangel