Samael
Worship Him

THE REVIEW

A jewel. The jewel. How could one describe an album as unknown as unique, promising, and dark as the first Full Length by the Swiss band Samael?

We're talking about one of the masterpieces that have literally left me speechless, as did "Ceremony Of Opposites", "Blood Ritual", "Passage", "Reign Of Light"... In short, Samael's entire discography. Despite the rather poor production, the music penetrates deep into the soul of those who listen to the murky blasphemy shouted by the ill and demonic voice of Vorphalack (now known as Vorph).

Each track is a silent and lethal blade that shows us horror in every minute facet. Starting with "Sleep Of Death", the guitars attack, scratch, and slowly tear, while the terrifying vocal accompaniment reminds us that Death is always lurking. Then we move on to the relentless Title Track, "Worship Him", slower than the previous one, but not less violent; indeed, this six and a half-minute track is the apex of claustrophobic anguish in which the genius of Samael is hidden. Pounding and obsessive drums, slow and fearful guitar riffs, vocals from hell invoking the demon Samael, through an anaphora present at the beginning of each phrase of the lyrics, repeated till the end (He is life. He is death. He is virtue. He is vice...). The next track, "Knowledge Of The Ancient Kingdom", is a chilling mid-tempo, and "Morbid Metal" shakes us with its convulsive unpredictability. Then we have a perfect instrumental interlude, "Rite Of Cthulhu", just two minutes yet sharp and unsettling (Cthulhu is a demon invented by Master H. P. Lovecraft). We tread once again towards the end of the cd, with two more truly excellent tracks, "The Black Face", "Into The Pentagram", which follow the trail of the previous ones, relentless and cruel.

After "Messenger Of The Light", the last track with Vorphalack's vocals, Samael decides to let us conclude their album with two more instrumental pieces, namely "Last Benediction", composed solely with a keyboard that invokes a dense contemplative and dark atmosphere, and finally "The Dark", a suitable title for this occasion: final deep guitar solos, leaving then in absolute silence, inviting us to meditate on what we’ve heard so far.

It is with this album that the band immediately stands out, while remaining incognito, unknown and hidden. Their albums have rarely been discussed, except for the latest, where we see a radical change in style. In any case, this is not just any Black Metal CD, as it adopts different standards from the classic Black scene.

Immortal and undisputed. "Worship Him".

WORSHIP IT.