The Samhain Box Set was released in 2000, more than 13 years after Samhain

Samhain (band)

Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from the Misfits. Samhain played in more of a deathrock and heavy metal-infused style of horror punk than Danzig's previous band. By 1987 Samhain's membership evolved into a new band,...

 effectively ceased recording and performing. The set's five CDs and one VHS tape compile nearly all of the band's original catalogue, newly remastered for the original mastertapes, and a wealth of previously unreleased material, the latter of which includes a live CD and a VHS video cassette of live footage.

Of Samhain's previous official releases, only the original mix of the Unholy Passion EP

Unholy Passion EP

-Personnel:* Glenn Danzig- Vocals, Guitar, Keyboards* Eerie Von - Bass* Steve Zing - Drums* "Damien" - Guitar...

 was not included in the Box Set; conjecture is that the original master tapes had been lost over the years, or were erased when Danzig re-recorded the guitar and some vocal tracks to those songs in June 1987.

Special packaging

The Box Set initially retailed at around $60.00 USD, and is now out of print. If pre-ordered online through distributor E-Magine Music's website, the first pressing of the Box Set was shipped two weeks prior to the street date, and was packaged with a bonus metal pin of the "scarecrow beast" character that appeared on Samhain T-shirts in the 1980s (similar to the one on the cover of the November-Coming-Fire

November-Coming-Fire

Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire was the band Samhain's third release. It was issued in 1986 on lead singer Glenn Danzig's independent record label, Plan 9. It is considered by many fans to be the band's best piece of work, as they were evolving their own style of music, which was often described...

 album). In all pressings, each of the five CDs came in its own "mini-LP" sleeve within the box, but when they were re-released individually the following year, these sleeves were replaced with normal CD jewel-cases.

Also included in the Box Set was a comic book by Mr. Monster creator Michael T. Gilbert

Michael T. Gilbert

Michael Terry Gilbert is an American comic book artist and writer who has worked for both mainstream and underground comic book companies.-Biography:Michael T. Gilbert was born on May 7, 1951 and attended the State University of New York...

 (with four uncredited pages by Sean Wyett, who also illustrated Danzig for the back cover of the Misfits' Legacy of Brutality

Legacy of Brutality

-Credits:* Glenn Danzig - vocals, guitar and bass on tracks 9, 10, and 13, overdubbed guitar and bass on tracks 1-8, and 11, clapping on track 13* Franché Coma - original guitar for tracks 1-8, and 11* Bobby Steele - original guitar for tracks 9, 10 and 12...

), and a 32-page booklet of photographs and reprinted lyrics to Discs One and Three. The outer box cover was painted by Martin Emond

Martin Emond

Martin Emond , also known under the pseudonyms "Martin Fuckin Emond", "Martyfuck", "Martywood", "Mickey Martin" and "MFE", was a New Zealand cartoon illustrator and painter....

, who had done artwork for several other products from singer Glenn Danzig

Glenn Danzig

Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig Glenn Danzig (born Glenn Allen Anzalone; June 23, 1955 is an American singer-songwriter, musician, author, entrepreneur, and a progenitor of the horror punk subgenre of music. He is a founder of bands the Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig...

's post-Samhain band, Danzig

Danzig (band)

Danzig is an American heavy metal band, formed in 1987 in Lodi, New Jersey. The band serves as a musical outlet for the singer/songwriter Glenn Danzig. Danzig can be seen as the third stage in Glenn Danzig's musical career, preceded by the horror punk bands The Misfits and Samhain...

.

Initium (Disc One)

1. "Initium" / "Samhain"
2. "Black Dream"
3. "All Murder, All Guts, All Fun"
4. "Macabre"
5. "He-Who-Can-Not-Be-Named"
6. "Horror Biz"
7. "The Shift"
8. "The Howl"
9. "Archangel"

Unholy Passion (Disc Two)

1. "Unholy Passion"
2. "All Hell"
3. "Moribund"
4. "The Hungry End"
5. "Misery Tomb"
6. "I Am Misery"

Samhain III: November-Coming-Fire (Disc Three)

1. "Diabolos '88"
2. "In My Grip"
3. "Mother of Mercy"
4. "Birthright"
5. "To Walk the Night"
6. "Let the Day Begin"
7. "Halloween II"
8. "November's Fire"
9. "Kiss of Steel"
10. "Unbridled"
11. "Human Pony Girl"

Final Descent (Disc Four)

1. "Night Chill"
2. "Descent"
3. "Death...In Its Arms"
4. "Lords of the Left Hand"
5. "The Birthing"
6. "Twist of Cain" (previously unreleased version)
7. "Possession" (previously unreleased version)
8. "Trouble" (previously unreleased version)
9. "Lords of the Left Hand (Second Version)" (previously unreleased version; see Notes section below)

Samhain Live '85-'86 (Disc Five; previously unreleased)

• Tracks 1-10: Live 19 February 1985 at Danceteria, New York, NY.
• Tracks 11-18: Live 13 April 1986 at the Cabaret, Metro Chicago, IL

1. "All Hell"
2. "Samhain"
3. "The Shift"
4. "The Howl"
5. "Unholy Passion"
6. "All Murder, All Guts, All Fun"
7. "I Am Misery"
8. "The Hungry End"
9. "Horror Biz"
10. "He-Who-Can-Not-Be-Named"
11. "Black Dream"
12. "Death Comes Ripping"
13. "Mother of Mercy"
14. "To Walk the Night"
15. "Halloween II"
16. "In My Grip"
17. "London Dungeon"
18. "Archangel"

Live VHS (previously unreleased)

• Tracks 1-8 recorded 13 April 1985 at Typographer's Hall, Baltimore, MD.
• Tracks 9-13 recorded 27 April 1986 at The Ritz, New York, NY.
• Tracks 14-16 recorded 14 July 1986 at The Ritz, New York, NY.

1. "All Murder, All Guts, All Fun"
2. "The Shift"
3. "Unholy Passion"
4. "Black Dream"
5. "The Hungry End"
6. "I Am Misery"
7. "Horror Biz"
8. "Moribund"
9. "All Hell"
10. "London Dungeon"
11. "Archangel"
12. "Mother of Mercy"
13. "To Walk the Night"
14. "Samhain"
15. "Moribund"
16. "Black Dream"