Samhain was an American rock band formed by singer Glenn Danzig in 1983, immediately following his departure from The Misfits.

[2] Both Samhain and its successor, Danzig, use the same horned skull image originally drawn by artist Michael Golden for the cover of the 1984 comic book The Saga of Crystar No.

Danzig took the name of the band from the Irish month of November and pre-Christian, Celtic festival Samhain, the origin of the modern Halloween.

[2] Samhain's debut album, Initium, was released on lead singer Glenn Danzig's independent record label, Plan 9, in August 1984.

In various interviews Danzig states that the album's title, which translates from Latin to English as "beginning", represents his new start after disbanding his prior band, The Misfits, in 1983.

[6] Rubin and Danzig agreed, however, that the band's sound should be taken in a different direction, and so guitarist Damien Marshall was replaced by John Christ.

When London May was replaced with Chuck Biscuits on drums, Samhain officially ceased to exist, and the first Danzig lineup was complete,[7] which then prompted the band to sign to Def American Recordings in 1988.

As much of the material for Final Descent was intended for a planned Samhain Grim album, its sound and songwriting bridges the gap between 1986's November Coming Fire and 1988's Danzig.

Samhain would reunite again in October 2011 and 2012 as part of a series of shows called the Danzig Legacy performances.

The lineup remained the same with London May and Steve Zing sharing bass and drum duties, and with Tommy Victor playing guitar.

[12] Sometimes, Glenn Danzig could be seen donning a horned leather S&M mask, and occasionally he and his bandmates went onstage covered in faux blood.