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Review: Originally released in 1984 and celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, Initium would serve as the debut full-length from death-rock horror-punk outfit Samhain; the brainchild of Glenn Danzig (or Evil Elvis). Opting to disband Misfits in favour of redirecting his creative juices into a project he maintained more rigid control over, with the title even translating from Latin to English as "beginning", the LP marked a simultaneous embracing of more metallic, gothic rock and malevolent balladry, distancing itself from the Misfits' breakneck hardcore chaos. Arriving less than a full year after Earth A.D./Wolfs Blood, the transitional growing pains are evident with deep cut 'Archangel' being originally penned with Misfits bassist Jerry Only, while 'Horror Biz' is actually a re-worked version of the early Misfits single 'Horror Business'. Featuring Minor Threat guitarist Lyle Preslar on several tracks, along with Reagan Youth bassist Al Pike making a singular appearance, four decades on Initium continues to resonate as a vital piece of punk rock/deathrock/horror-punk history with its laying of influential foundations.

Review: "It rained like a cow pissing on a flat rock" Aerosmith's Steven Tyler apparently once said about Woodstock 94. His band's set, in the middle of the night, followed a monumental firework display at the end of Metallica's typically juggernaut show. A cataclysmic halt, picturing the scene in your mind now is almost biblical, moody storms setting in across a dangerously oversold, woefully organised weekender headlined by some of the most lightning-worthy rock bands on the planet. Short Cuts: The Best of Woodstock 94 is more than a concert recording, then. An abridged version of a marathon set, it's also a declaration of intent from metal titans who refused to be upstaged by the events unfolding around them. If there's ever an excuse to revisit Metallica on stage during the Black Album period, then surely it's with a backdrop of chaos and rage?