Samael "Ceremony Of Opposites" (Century Media records 1994)

1.     Black Trip 03:19  

2. Celebration of the Fourth 02:53  

3. Son of Earth  03:58   

4. 'Till We Meet Again 04:11

5. Mask of the Red Death  03:04   

6. Baphomet's Throne      03:30  

7. Flagellation 03:41  

8. Crown 04:06  

9. To Our Martyrs 02:37

10. Ceremony of Opposites 04:39

The pernicious trio of Samael enjoyed a great state of form after debuting at the dawn of the 90's with "Worship Him", production where the Swiss already showed clear intentions to take a path musically different from what their contemporaries did in different localities of the European continent. The "Blood Ritual" of 1992 only confirmed the suspicions and exposed the irremediable conatus of Doom Metal that repellessly infected his music. Far from resting on their laurels, the group decided to take a new evolutionary step. A volcanic movement that would take place in 1994, the year in which Samael would become a quartet with the inclusion of Rodolphe H to take possession of the sampler, keyboards, and other electronic gadgets that Samael had to adjust the necessary nuts and tip him, now Yes, a radical and definitive turn to your proposal.

Although the original influence of Black Metal continues to be omnipotent in the singing of Vorphalack, through the cracks of the battleship of this "Ceremony of Opposites" were already allowed to see clear influences of the Industrial and other experimental ínfulas that ultimately would be their decisive bet in future deliveries. This formidable album still protects that mysticism and opacity of its predecessors, and at the same time reveals the courses that the group would take. Here is a fierce disc, discourteous in its walk and harmful bite. Arrogant carrier of an artwork worked, simply wonderful and penetrating to the look.

The band of the brothers Locher is delivered solid as armed concrete for ten songs, just over thirty minutes that are enough to make a massive exercise of impudence and forcefulness. The Helvetica print the album a long procession of ornaments and unmistakable elements of Industrial music that will show their fangs as the minutes descend downhill.

Without further prelude, the colossal "Black Trip" extends the deck of cards on the table. A stark rhythmic base by Xytras establishes the tablecloth on which Vorphalack and Masmiseîm perform a commendable work of instrumentation with fairly classical riffs and structures and correct changes of rhythm to which density and consistency are never lacking.

The group sounds compact and Herculean at all times. The immaculate tracklist has no abrupt cuts between them, and this detail gives us the exquisite illusion of listening to a single theme divided into ten monstrous chapters. Nothing can be objected to deadly monsters such as "Till We Meet Again", "Celebration of the Fourth" or "Flagellation" or the cumbersome manner in which they stab each other. The group was bold and did not fear to integrate other styles, methods and procedures to its jumble, but always trying to guard a straight line with its blasphemous mystic. The peculiar rhythmic sections of his direct and brief ten cuts are dense and impenetrable. To this we add a slight reflux of hypnotic melodies that shudder in an aura of simplicity and good compositional by Vorph.

In the homonymous theme, small sediments of Doom Metal can still be seen scattered throughout the minute, but in both "Baphomet's Throne" and in "Mask of the Red Death" the constant are the persistent electrical developments that interweave an amalgam of twisted successions and extremely thick, where the guttural screams of Vorph stir the cauldron with a devastating and superb mastery. Rodolphe's keyboards can be heard from time to time to accompany the instrumentation, and the thunderous sections starring the sampler give him a kind of important depth to a phenomenal work that gives him very little loopholes to tranquility.

Production, far from being a portent of sound engineering, makes the instruments shine brightly, making them sound and rattle just as the album needs. The constant use of sounds characteristic of the Industrial turns out to be a very profitable element, especially for ornamental purposes. The universal atmosphere of work is based on agonizing resonances that create a funereal and claustrophobic atmosphere that feels great.

Here is a round disc, very prestigious and faultless in the aspects of setting, production and composition. The sum of all the factors that comprise this "Ceremony of Opposites" establish it as an intrepid work, lined with surprises, stupor and a warlike pestilence that catapults him as one of the spearheads in Samael's extensive discography. Opulent material that is embedded directly to the jugular, and very possessed of a perfect hodgepodge of sound ingredients that take a very long and imposing four horns.

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