Samhain was, in the early 80s, one of the first bands playing extreme metal in Denmark. Formed in 1984, the quartet started exploring music in their rehearsal room under the direct influence of their idols – Hellhammer/Celtic Frost, Kreator, Venom, Sodom and the likes – and started to forge the Danish extreme metal scene with their early contacts, struggle to get gigs and mouth-to-mouth promotion.
In 1985 the band released their only demo tape, “The Courier”, containing three tracks of the raw and unadulterated death/thrash metal that they played. The demo never really got them a record deal, but put Samhain’s name in the scene, where they gained praise from their peers and underground press and played shows with such fine acts as Kreator, Pestilence, Exumer, Imperator, Mezzrow, Invocator, and Illdisposed. Eventually, the group would change their name to Desexult in 1986 under which name they put out three demos. They disbanded in 1991, but “The Courier” remains one of the finest examples of how early Danish extreme metal sounded and gained cult status in the following decades.
In the Summer of 2023, fans of 80s original death/thrash metal could finally rejoice! The long-awaited album release of the demo tapes from the legendary band was finally released as a full-length album on vinyl format.
“The Courier” features all songs from the band’s first two demo tapes, recorded in 1985 and 1986. Remastered for maximum audio quality by one of metal’s finest: none other than ex-Desexult drummer and metal producer par excellence Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio (Rob Halford, Sick Of It All, The Haunted, Vio-Lence, etc.), this is as trve as it gets.
The release also includes extensive liner notes from metal notables and rare photos from the band’s early days.
