Samael
Ceremony Of Opposites
[Century Media]
Samael's 1994 masterpiece, before taking a more experimental industrial
route, Samael released Ceremony Of Opposites, milestones above their
previous two full lengths, the peak of their work in the realm of metal
with slight and not so slight touches of Black and death metal.
Not a weak song to be found on the album,
whether listened to individually or as a whole, each song stands on its'
own, musically and lyrically. Samael's lyrics are intelligent, truthful,
bluntly blasphemous at times; -Ceremony Of Opposites- contains some of
the best lyrics of the genre. Musically, the songs are great works of
technicality fueled with hate. The drumming is top notch, complimenting
the other instruments and vocals throughout the album, the vocals
themselves don't vary too much, still, Vorphalack gives one of best
performances of the year and years to come on this album, his voice
mixes flawlessly with the music and together with the great guitar work
and bass create a excellent musical experience. Such perfection is
presented best on the opening track, 'Black Trip', Vorphalack flows
seamlessly with the backing guitars while the drums highlight peak
moments of the song, the same goes for other timeless classic anthems
such as ''Til We Meet Again', 'Baphoment's Throne', 'Flagellation',
'Crown', and the title track. That said, let me again state there are no
weak songs on this album, every song is top notch, (although the ones'
named stand out the most).
Ceremony Of Opposites is not only essential Samael, it is also an
essential (Black) metal album, even those not particularly interested in
Black Metal styled music may enjoy this, a masterpiece of blackened art,
beyond comparison.
© 2000 alasdor