Samael
Worship Him
[Osmose]
SAMAEL was born on 1987, in this year they released their 1st demo tape "Macabre operetta", then in 1988 came their 2nd recording, "Into the infernal
storm of Evil" and they are also meant to have recorded a promo tape called "From dark to black" in 1989, but I'm not sure this tape really exists (if you know
something, let me know !). But SAMAEL was really famous at the time for releasing the "Medieval prophecy" 12" EP in 1988/89, a pure BM release that
is certainly one of the biggest collectors items in BM nowadays, together with MAYHEM's "Deathcrush" or HELLHAMMER's first MLP.
Many people who now worship DARKTHRONE as the "creators of black metal revival in the beginning of the 90s" certainly don't know this legendary LP out on Osmose Prods in April 1991. The music was released in Switzerland in the month of March, 1990 but was only issued in mid-91 on the famous French label. So now you know that SAMAEL are REALLY the ones who created that revival, 10 years ago, as DARKTHRONE's "A blaze..." saw the light of the moon only at the end of 1991. And Fenriz & co. took inspiration from SAMAEL, for sure... The guitar riff on "the black face" influenced alomst ALL the Norwegian scene. DARKTHRONE, GORGOROTH, SATYRICON, EMPEROR... They all used a "similar" riff in their early recordings ; what was so-called "the Norwegian-styled riff" had been invented first by these incredible guys from switzerland !
I don't think it would be useful to comment the music here, but I can say it is extremely dark, it is STILL good (many records seem "weak" some years after they were released but this one does not), and, even if it was recorded 12 years ago the sound is great (well, this is not very objective, I know, but I love this kind of recording, so...). The best track is, for sure, "The black face" but there are many highlights as "The rite of chtuhlu", "Sleep of death" etc. etc.
It has since been re-issued together with "Blood ritual", their 2nd LP, on a 2-CD box set by Century Media called "1987 - 1992", much easier to find than the Osmose version. But if you're really a completist...
9/10
© 2002 lord pesten
Many people who now worship DARKTHRONE as the "creators of black metal revival in the beginning of the 90s" certainly don't know this legendary LP out on Osmose Prods in April 1991. The music was released in Switzerland in the month of March, 1990 but was only issued in mid-91 on the famous French label. So now you know that SAMAEL are REALLY the ones who created that revival, 10 years ago, as DARKTHRONE's "A blaze..." saw the light of the moon only at the end of 1991. And Fenriz & co. took inspiration from SAMAEL, for sure... The guitar riff on "the black face" influenced alomst ALL the Norwegian scene. DARKTHRONE, GORGOROTH, SATYRICON, EMPEROR... They all used a "similar" riff in their early recordings ; what was so-called "the Norwegian-styled riff" had been invented first by these incredible guys from switzerland !
I don't think it would be useful to comment the music here, but I can say it is extremely dark, it is STILL good (many records seem "weak" some years after they were released but this one does not), and, even if it was recorded 12 years ago the sound is great (well, this is not very objective, I know, but I love this kind of recording, so...). The best track is, for sure, "The black face" but there are many highlights as "The rite of chtuhlu", "Sleep of death" etc. etc.
It has since been re-issued together with "Blood ritual", their 2nd LP, on a 2-CD box set by Century Media called "1987 - 1992", much easier to find than the Osmose version. But if you're really a completist...
9/10
© 2002 lord pesten