A tentatively named series branching off from Jewelcase Treasures. In this, I review several albums by an artist, in choronological order, in quick succession. Each song will usually get its highlight, but in one sentence, and sometimes multiple songs will be clumped together for brevity.
In this installment, we feature the works of Samael, a Swiss band that plays what's best described as symphonic industrial black metal. While black metal is usually known for extreme vocalization, punishing drum- and guitar-lines, and an overall melodramatic, dark, or even evil tone, Samael basically keeps the black metal influence to the vocals of Michael Locher (a.k.a. Vorphalack) and their stage names, and substitutes in elements of the industrial genre, allowing for a more flowing sound that drives influence from the electronic scene. The other members, known by their nicknames, are Makro on guitar, flanked by Vorph; Xytraguptor on keyboards, samples, and programmed drums (he does live drums as well); and Masmiseim on bass guitar.
And so we begin, with three pickings from Samael's discography: Eternal, Solar Soul, and Lux Mundi.
Album One: Eternal (1999)
And what better way to start off this album than with an anthem piece: whence cometh Year Zero, the intro track to this album (and oddly positive in tone for black metal), and one of my favorites. Ailleurs continues its fast march, and allows for Vorph to change up his vocal style from time to time. We slow the pace in Together; and while it's not a bad song, they seemed to tone it down (and slow it down) just a bit too much, letting the electronics have a bit too much pull. Ways is a bit back-to-form; while it's not very fast, it's for the better; it's got a kicking rhythm that services the vocalist and the rest of the sound well.
Almost a mix of Ways of Together comes with The Cross, though it does have some great guitar work. The beginning of Us is quite awesome, but the rest of the song isn't much to talk about. Supra Karma adds an odd rhythm in the background, the instrument of which I can't place. I, Nautilus & Zeppelin, and Infra Galaxia follow, but none of the three are that spectacular. Being changes up the syncopation, and is a lot more rock-oriented than its brethren before it, especially in the intro. Finally, we have Radiant Star, a song with a rather off-putting intro and not too much substance to follow.
Album Two: Solar Soul (2007)
The titular song is the first track, and already we've noticed what 8 years of evolution have brought us; both a polished form in the electronic department, and more guitar influence. Vorph himself is also a bit more pronounced. Promised Land is good, but nothing special... however, it does lead us into Slavocracy, an absolute crusher of a song that really drives the album at the exact moment needed. Western Ground starts off with a rather starkly simple intro, leading into a decent melody that has to wait until Vorph steps in to really get going - it's still pretty good, though. On The Rise and Alliance are both quick-paced songs, and while a bit average, aren't bad in the slightest - the chorus to On The Rise is pretty awesome.
Suspended Time is more take-charge, echoing Slavocracy a bit more so than the others, and overall is a rather nice song. Valkyrie's New Ride is, as was "Being" in Eternal, mixes in rock elements more so than the others. Ave! highlights the keyboard talents of Xytraguptor, though the other parts are average at best. Quasar Waves is an odd little number, mixing in Middle Eastern instruments, and has Vorph sing deeper than normal. Architect and Olympus end the album, Architect bringing in more of an impact than Olympus, which isn't too impressive.
Album Three: Lux Mundi (2011)
Our opening track is Luxferre, a grandiose synth-and-drum intro following into a deep and driving guitar and vocal part - and what a start. Already we're combining Solar Soul with a lot more metal elements, letting the electronics take the background, and to be quite honest it sounds excellent. Let My People Be! and Of War continue this, adding a touch more synth, and Vorph is starting to take an angrier tone in his vocals, especially in Of War, which is a bit of a mark above Solar Soul in aggression, and sounds closer to black metal than any of the two previous entries in this article. Antigod echoes Luxferre more so than the other two songs, keeping it grandiose instead of crushing. For A Thousand Years goes back into the driving synth and guitar that Let My People Be! had, but takes a slight step back in aggression.
The Shadow of the Sword changes it up a little bit by speeding up the tempo and bringing some higher pitched instrumentals into the mix, and also having a much more modular rhythm. In The Deep is a love-letter to the guitars, especially in the beginning riff, and brings us the chant of "Call me / Samael!!!"... the quissessential anthem piece, and probably the best song on this album. Mother Night spares us from several tracks of aggression to slow the tempo down and reduce the rhythm complexity, to coalesce into a much more epic piece. Pagan Trance isn't actually that much of a trance - while it's definitely a bit more muted and smooth rhythm-wise, it's not really that soft a song. In Gold We Trust gives us a bass- and drum-heavy intro that almost apes Slavocracy from Solar Soul (if you removed the high-pitch synth). Soul Invictus is more of a doom-metal song in its rhythm, and is very heavy in its synth. And finally, if ever you wanted to be reminded that these guys were black metal, The Truth Is Marching On is it: the drums go at Mach 2, while the guitars just barely keep up. While this doesn't occur throughout the whole song, it's a prevalent part of it.
Final Ratings:
Eternal: 6.5 / 10. It's a solid record that presents the electronic stylization of black metal, though a few of the tracks never really rise above average.
Solar Soul: 7.5 / 10. A marked improvement over Eternal, it's a bit more repetitive than the previous but has stronger tracks within the mix.
Lux Mundi: 9 / 10. While much more repetitive than Solar Soul, what Samael repeats in its elements is, quite honestly, some very high-quality industrial black metal. Even as just a black metal album, it's a better album than their previous album Above, which while extraordinarily heavy had many production problems.
Oh. A little taste of what you're getting into:
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