Customer Reviews

Initium

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Most know Glenn Danzig's second band, Samhain, as the bridge from his Misfits sound to what you hear today. Initium takes the darker side of the Misfits, fuses it with hardcore, goth and rock, injects it with a strong dose of Paganism and brings it all together with that voice.

The result: the music black magic rituals and the end of the world should have playing in the background.

Unsuspecting metalheads might not get it. Newer Fiends might not know what to suspect. But for the uninitiated who are willing to take a step beyond the normal conventions of punk rock/hardcore, this album can consume the soul.

Right away, Glenn separates himself from his former bandmates with an opening speech that dissolves into the pagan chant 'Samhain'. Songs like 'Black Dream', 'The Shift' and 'The Howl' are dark nightmares, full of vivid imagery, while 'All Murder, All Guts, All Fun' and 'Horror Biz' (originally a Misfits cut) are more aggressive. 'Macabre' and 'He-Who-Can-Not-Be-Named' are more paganistic anthems. 'Archangel' is a melancholy finish, sinister and foreboding - and a hint of what's to come from Glenn Danzig.

Like the approaching doom on Halloween night, Initium grooves dark and haunting...

And it's playfulness only makes it that much more disturbing, with lyrics like "And the way the art starts to imitate life, at the end of a gun, at the edge of a knife." makes it an instant classic. Although I cant really recommend this to fans of the Misfits or, much less, the new Misfits because its divinely hardcore status and macabre aura ripped right out of a satanic ritual, make no mistake, this is darkness unveiled. But dont get me wrong it is NOT death metal in the vein of Sayer becauase it is actually very melodic and not even that fast. Its just well...gruesome..like getting your soul put through a meat grinder. Makes bands like Marilyn Manson look tame..

And for that idiot who gave it one star because he thought it was a harmonica playin artist which he so tragically idolizes, you can file his review under "not applicable". Anyone who could actually mistake three shirtless blood soaked men on a cover for everyones favorite blues harmonica player deserves every bit of legal injustice he waves on himself. I recommned reading more of this guy's reviews, its hilarious. I can't tell if hes joking or if he truly is a pathological moron.

There will never be any recordings darker than any of Samhain /Danzig's albums. "Initium" puts to shame any black metal or death metal album. After listening to this album, everything else considered "evil" will sound silly.
Danzig's voice never sounded better than on "Initium" and it kept evolving on the following Samhain albums. His voice easily defies any production value that could take away from it. His howls are just frightening as a wolf after a fresh kill.
The pagan themes are perfectly matched by the music, which makes it very primitive and cold. The fuzzy, simple guitars cut through the soul. The simple beat is like the march of the dead.
The beginning track is an audio apocalypse. Those who look deep will discover a twisted sense of humor in "All Murder, All Guts, All Fun" and "Horror Business".
The ending tracks, "Archangel" and "The Howl", are classics. No Goth band could possibly top these songs. The eerie, gloomy, aggressive feeling comes to a head to close the album.
Even if you listen to "Initium" during the day, it will feel like its night time. If you listen to this album during the summer, it will feel like winter.

well i just saw Danzig in concert on June 1. And he still is going strong after all these years. So my intention was to pick up Danzig's self titled[which i reccomend if u like this title]. But unfortuantley they didn't have it, so i i saw Samhain "Initium" and picked it up, and have had no regrets about it. I did laugh a little when i heard Danzig's intro, but it also seemed fitting for his first release after the Misfits because he lefts you know he is back, and stronger then ever. These song do sound like they could of been Misfits recordings, and thats not necessarily a bad thing. There original, yet familiar at the same time. "Horror Biz" originally called horror business and done by the Misfits, sounds just as good as the original, and possibly even better. Of course my personal favorite on this cd is the much mellower, but definitley not weaker track "archangel." its different from the rest of the albums songs because it doesn't have the same satanic feel, and is a very catchy song even if it is over 5 minutes long. And don't think the cd is over with archangel cuz its not. there is a hidden track called "unholy passion" and it is an excellent song as well. so overall this i a must have for Misfits fans without a doubt. And is also a must have for anybody who likes Danzig, since Samhain actually recorded a few songs that are now done by Danzig.[see Samhain "November Comes Fire"]

Instead of falling into the pit of obscruity after the disbanding of the Misfits, Glenn Danzig put together a new band with a new vision of evil. While much of the Misfits songs were inspired by B-rated horror and sci-fi, Samhain brought graphic realism to violence. "Initium" takes all the great charecteristics of the Misfits and fuses them with a darker and more melodic vision of evil. While a couple of songs are more Misfit influenced "All Murder, All Guts, All Fun" and "Horror Biz"(which is a more slowed down and harmonized version of "Horror Business"), the other songs bring a feeling of impending doom. All the songs on "Initium" are Samhain classics. We get to see in my opinion the beginning of Goth Metal. The listener also gets to hear the transformation from Danzig the punk rocker to Danzig the dark metal god. It is a shame that Samhain did not get as big as they should have and get as much recognition as they deserved. "Initium" is a true metal gem. I would recommend this album to any true metal maniac and true fans of Danzig.

This is the first album by Glenn Danzig's second band samhain. This is not The Misfits at all! Instead a dark dreary sound that is so unique it really defies all labeling. Could this album be considered heavy metal? Punk? Crossover? All of the above? None of the above? Yes!! I like to think of the sound of this album as a dark and dirty punk/metal crossover with melodic songs and nice tempos. Of course, the horrid production quality ADDS to the charm of this jewel of an album. Though cheesy-seeming don't be fooled. This album can give you nightmares if you listen to it enough late at night with the lights down. Trust me. There is magic in the music. BLACK magic!!...Very unique, very AWESOME. Buy it!! 5 stars.`

In 1984, Glenn Danzig was at a crossroads. He wanted to do something more serious musically (in contrast with the sometimes "cartoonish" Misfits) but was left without a band due to various issues with those guys. He had originally planned a solo project while still in the 'Fits, but the culmination of that band's demise made him want to do a whole new band instead, with a new name, Samhain.

Samhain's debut is a groundbreaking album in that it is one of the first albums to merge Gothic/Death Rock, Metal, and Punk into one style on one album. I don't think people were prepared for this style at the time, as in some quarters the scenes were seen as diametrically opposed. Nevertheless, the debut album starts with "Intium" a dark atmospheric track complete with Glenn saying something tough and dark (haha). It then launches into "Samhain", and its this Pagan Metal Punk sound that decorates the record so brilliantly. The second sound, Black Dream, is complete with Chime keyboard sounds, and "Scary" sound effects, hey did I mention that this album is the perfect Halloween album? (Considering the word "Samhain" or "Sowwin" is Halloween anyway).

All Murder, All Guts All Fun is another slab of metallic punk, this time recalling the Misfits more, but just slowed down. Macabre is probably the best and darkest song on here, featuring some of the most atmospheric work Glenn and Co had done at that point. In fact, some of the vocals and lyrics may seem to familiar to Metallica fans as they ripped it off for the song "Frantic" (even though Kirk Hammett says it was from the Buddhist concept of samsara; still I think they subconciously were influenced by this song, being the Glenn Danzig freaks they are). He Who can Not Be Named is more creepy Lovecraftian Gothic Metal Punk and has a slightly more bouncy Misfits feel (but of course darker). Speaking of Misfits, Horror Biz is "Horror Business" from the Misfits, but played slower and more "Death rock like". The Shift and the Howl feature some tribal-esque drumming and very dark soundscapes but at the same time are as catchy as anything Glenn had done melodically. Its this fact, that the melodies are intact no matter how atmospheric or dark the album gets that makes it one of Glenn's best, solo or otherwise.

The last song was originally recorded with the Misfits and Al Pike, it was meant to be written for Dave Vanian of the Dammned, but fits the album perfectly. Its basically classic punk rock, just slowed down and with a weird growl sound effect in the background!

So the verdict is in. I would say that this album is not only one of the best Glenn has been involved in, but its groundbreaking in many other ways. Remember in these days, Christian Death fans weren't neccessarily Misfits fans and at the same time Black Sabbath or Motorhead fans. This album is a crossover in the best sense of the word, but also encapsulates the similarities between the darker regions of punk, metal, and atmospheric goth/death rock brilliantly.

Its an essential album, and perfect in time for Halloween.

the three samhain album are pure bliss to me. this album being the most misfits-y of the bunch, november coming fire being pure new direction..aka samhain..(the pinnacle of danzig to me)....and final descent shows glenn moving into the slower oriented danzig days...anyways, this album is a lost misfits album basically. most newer misfits fans will overlook this for new misfits and bands like AFI...now with this being out of print(its hard to keep good music in print today!!!) more and more people will overlook it. anyways, im sure you can find one of these in a store if you look hard enough or visit a place where danzig and co. arent as appreciated....weird thing is, all other samhain albums(mind you, they are released by the same company!!) are as easy as pie to get...i wonder what the deal is.

ha ha ha 1000 bucks for this cd. that seriously is funny. almost as funny as your jokester friend pointing a gun at you and saying he is going to kill you while bursting into a ball of laughter.

After a somewhat hokey intro, Initium blasts into some of the finest 30 min of Death Punk morbidity. Hard, metallic guitars, incoherrent yelling, spine tingling chimes, and dark themes with equally dark, morbid atmosphere. Only thing I didn't care for was the re-working of the Misfits classick Horror Business.
So if you're a punk, a metalhead, or a goth, you need this cd. It's brutal, sinister, and dark. Get it or be sacrificed at the feast of Samhain!

Samhain was Glenn Danzig's 1st full length Project after the demise of the Misfits. Initium is my fave Samhain Album. It is a lot darker than most of the Misfits records. All of the songs on this album are classic Black Dream, All Murder All Guts All Fun, and ARCHANGEL. This cd has been out of print for years it was only recently released in the Samhain Boxed Set.If you have listen to the Misfits or Danzig and haven't listened to Samhain, Initium is a must.