Feature / Upcoming Talent
Upcoming Talent #14 – Siblings of Samhain

Discography

Dark, Dead and Deranged (2017)

1. Intro (2:07)
2. Hyde (2:28)
3. Vampires Everywhere (3:58)
4. Winsome Witch (3:09)

The very first Siblings Of Samhain release was this four-track demo featuring a fun two minute intro of a Halloween, witchy soundscape of bubbling cauldrons and crows, plus three acoustic tracks that would later be revamped and appear on future releases. This was in the time before Billy Butcher properly joined and it was Danny Demented on guitar and vocals and Savage Monster on bass with Billy taking up recording and mixing duties which he did really well. It's a simple but effective first demo and well worth checking out to notice and appreciate the progression of the band.

Hyde (2018)

1. Jekyll (1:16)
2. Hyde (3:23)
3. Gravestones (1:52) *single
4. Loculus (1:52)
5. Epidemic (3:26)
6. Gravedigger Man (2:16)
7. Winsome Witch (2:55)
8. I Am The Zombie (3:59)
9. Love At First Bite (2:49)
10. The Dead Crawl (2:38)
11. From The Bite To The Bullet (2:43)
12. The Killer In Me (3:49)
13. Helen (4:28)
14. Dead Darling (3:39)

This 14-track, debut full-length independent release is a great showcase for a new band just starting out as it has a great variety of horrorpunk styles from the slower more ballady-style to faster punk rock. The final mix is a little off and even though it's not that much of a distraction, sometimes the music is too low in the mix and the vocals too high with a bit too much reverb for my liking. That being said, Hyde is a lively and catchy album that demands repeat listens. Danny has a unique vocal style that romances the soul whilst also being sinister at the same time. I love the haunting opening track "Jekyll" but the stand out tracks for me are "I Am The Zombie" for pure punk catchiness and "From The Bite To The Bullet" for its quirky ‘60s/’70s pop rock intro.

Laid To Rest (2019)

1. Vampires Everywhere (3:09)
2. Full Moon Trance (2:19)
3. Goodnight Forever (2:47)
4. Out For Blood (3:19)
5. The Legend Of Crystal Lake (2:03)
6. Stay Away From Camp Blood (2:30)

The follow-up keeps the momentum going from Hyde. Laid To Rest opens with the revamped and re-imagined version of "Vampires Everywhere" from their first demo and sets the pace and feel for the rest of the EP as an altogether darker offering about werewolves, vampires and two odes to the legend that is Jason Voorhees. When I say dark, it's not vastly different from the themes on Hyde but these tracks somehow feel even more sinister.

“Night Of The Living Dead” (2019)

This single will hold a lot of meaning to many horrorpunk fans and it means a lot to the band: it is their tribute to Joey Poole AKA: Joey Image of Misfits fame. It’s a cover of the Misfits song "Night Of The Living Dead," which in itself is Misfits tribute to George A. Romero's movie Night of the Living Dead. All funds created from its release were donated directly to help support the iconic drummer’s cancer treatment. The artwork is the same as the original Misfits artwork. Future cover songs show that Siblings like to mix things up but I guess they did not want to mess with this one too much and play this pretty true to the original.

Jekyll (2020)

Jekyll is the acoustic version of their first full-length album, Hyde, the same track listing just with an acoustic twist. The mix is off with this too, but this was a great idea and a clever concept. The inclusion of more prominent piano as well as a bit of banjo and harmonica gives it a kind of Wild West feel. It's funny how changing the style completely changes your favourite tracks. Whilst a track like "Gravedigger Man" makes a great classic punk tune, it works even better as a jingly acoustic track. Whereas "Winsome Witch" definitely works better as a punk rock ‘n’ roll ballad. This was a brave move on their part and they pulled it off with style and class, breathing a new life into the album.

“Deadlights Ahead” (2020)

I guess the best thing about being a DIY band that can do everything themselves means that, even during a pandemic, you can still get stuff done. So whilst most things were on hold and everyone was holed up at home, Siblings Of Samhain released an upbeat, cheery track about Pennywise the clown, originally from the mind of Stephen King and his book, IT: a classic punk rock song with Danny's soothing vocals and a great singalong chorus. This gets a mini revamp for Tales Of Love, Death and the Macabre.

Siblings Of Samhain (2021)

A collection of all of their recordings so far, from Hyde and Laid to Rest, featuring new tracks "Lonesome Halloween Night" (2:52) and "Pumpkin Patch Murders" (2:37).

“Fallen Angel” (2021)

This single sees Siblings of Samhain take a trip back to the ‘50s with their take on doo-wop group The Penguins’ song "Earth Angel (Will You Be Mine)". Starting off with that signature ‘50s intro of quiet grainy vocals, light jingly guitar, piano and poppy bassline transforming quickly into a full on punk rock-style -- which works really well.

Tales Of Love, Death and the Macabre (2022)

1. Bury Me (3:47)
2. Monsters and Madmen (2:18) first single
3. Deadlights Ahead (2:40)
4. The Curse (2:23)
5. Dead to Me (3:18)
6. My Creature in The Night (3:05)
7. Whetstone (1:19)
8. Sardonic (3:19) second single
9. My Possession (3:34)
10. The Lost Souls (2:46)
11. At Moment Of Pain (3:08)
12. The Night He Came Home (4:08)

Their third full-length album was released just in time for the spooky season last year and sees the duo of Danny Demented and Bill Butcher embrace their romantic side once again but brings things back up to speed and some real old school punk/horrorpunk rather than the acoustic feel of their previous full-length album. Featuring numerous guests lending their vocals and guitar talents from Doc Horror, Nikky Casket, Bilo Von Gacy, Robby Bloodshed, Marko Villian and TB Monstrosity, they pull out all the stops on this one. Mixing and mastering demons well and truly put to rest on this, everything sounds well balanced and in proportion.

Featuring another version of "Deadlights Ahead," which was originally released as a single back in 2020. This album version has been remastered to give it a brighter and more full sound and is not out of place at all when with the rest of the brand new tracks. Siblings of Samhain have a great way of conveying their chosen horror theme in a really obvious and clever way whilst still managing to make it their own. They like to change up what kind of horror they feature too, so sometimes you will get a movie theme like IT with "Deadlights Ahead" or Robs Zombie’s Firefly film series in "Monsters and Madmen" and "The Night He Came Home," which has a great interpretation of the Halloween theme tune. Then you get their own take on horror with songs like "Saradonic," "My Creature in the Night" and "A Moment Of Pain," which are well executed and full of catchy riffs, infectious melodies and fast punk rock, melded seamlessly together. Tales of Love, Death and Macabre sets itself up as their most complete full-length by the use of a haunting AFI-style midway narrative in "Whetsone".

Those that bought the CD version of this album were also treated to an extra track as they include their cover of "Ghost Town" by The Specials, which is great.

Trioxin (2023)

We Are Horror Records

1. Trioxin Theme (1.32)
2. Back From The Grave (1:37)
3. They Want Brains ( 1:59)
4. Die For Her (2:01)
5. Zombie Soldiers Are Go (2:03)
6. Z (1:21)

After their hard work had paid off with Tales of Love, Death and the Macabre it was time to kick back and do something just for fun. This time they decided on a particular theme and what a great theme it was. Return of the Living Dead (1985) is a classic and in pretty much every zombie movie fan’s top five, so what better tribute than an EP dedicated to "brrraiiinnnss" and ghouls back from the dead!! Starting with their take on the iconic theme they pick up the pace on the original but still keep it true. The tributes don't stop after that. "Back from the Grave" tells the tale of how the dead returned and "They Want Brains" concentrates on the zombies’ desire for brains. Featuring samples from the movie, it is a celebration of all things ‘80s, zombie andReturn of the Living Dead. Siblings of Samhain even enlist help of one of the undead, none other than Medico from UK Zombiecore legends Send More Paramedics, who lends a rotten hand on the guitar solo for "Z" which leaves us all raving to the grave. All the proceeds from Trioxin went to Ukrainian Humanitarian Fund.

With these three full-length albums, two EPs, six singles and a demo under their belt, Siblings Of Samhain have already cemented a role in UK horrorpunk and have managed to do all of this under their own steam -- mostly as a duo. Their music embodies the essence of horror and their determination to their cause is everything that DIY stands for. They embrace the old school ideology and inject their music with a great passion and fresh ideas. They always seem to have a new take on the themes and songwriting that keeps the listener wanting more. I certainly hope that after a short break Danny Demented will be back to front the band for their upcoming shows. No matter what happens, Billy Ray Butcher and bandmates D Zombie, Khanage and Phill Phantom seem to be working well as a group, have their shit together and are ready to kick some ass this spooky season and I hope that all you ghouls over in the UK will be there to support them and the new material that is sure to follow. I would like to thank Siblings Of Samhain for taking part in this feature and I wish them all the best for the future.

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Thanks for reading this instalment of Upcoming Talent. This is the place to be if you are in an unsigned band and want to shout about it! In this feature you will find out all about our chosen band straight from the horse’s mouth, not to mention a full discography review, merch, social and gig links with some visual aids for your delectation. If you would like to be featured in a future Upcoming Talent piece then please contact me at sarahjane@scenepointblank.com.