Metal Reviews

when talking about early black metal bands? they released some demos in the mid-late 80's and then worship him in 91. They were one of the first of the second wave so why does no one ever mention them?

People hijacked that Killers thread and mentioned Samael. Then there's this thread:

http://www.metalreviews.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4048

Maybe not what you're looking for, but I'll quote myself from that thread:


And they've just begun recording a new album, of course that means little as they're an entirely different band now.

Nah, not what im looking for. I'm just wondering why on pretty much every forum ever people hardly mention samael at all. Yet mayhem seems to be in half the threads..

nobdy mentions them because they are so good that they dont need anything to be said about them...hows that for an answer?

Easy, because Samael isnt from Norway

earliest Samael is definately kick ass black metal, but i dont really care for their current industrial stuff now...

Yeah all their early shit owns, worship him, ceremony of opposites, Blood ritual. Passages is decent, the rest is all shit, wtf they make shit now that Mortiis (who I liked) would be embarrased to play.

And don't give me that bullshit elitest tag. I like all forms of Anathema and Tiamat and Sentenced and Amorphis, but Sameal just lost it somewhere

yeah, their new shit isn't good at all.

Some of the new shit is really good, but so far away from their roots that it's weird to even compare. Overall, however, the newer stuff is very hit or miss.

I guess because they fucking sold out. Thats why.

hmm.. i think i have mentioned them a few times... i'm thinking about buying their LP-box with 4 LP's containing their oldest material

Yeah they rarely get a mention. Worship Him is excellent and different from the Mayhem sound. Ceremony of Opposites also sounds very interesting on occasion.

Yeah, they sold out. :roll: Do I have to point out how ridiculous that claim is?

Its ridiculous that you don't think they sold out. Changing directions can be cool sometimes, like Ulver, who sold out big time but still kick ass. They get credit because they were just fucking great. Samael just weren't that good to be considered one of the big bands of the 90s imo, Beherit, a much better and more influential band also gets almost no credit too. Norway overshadowed them, probably.

Samael are better than Ulver, imo.

Yes, but changing directions and selling out are two totally different things. I saw no style change—which is generally the case with most bands accused of selling out—that would indicate the band wanting to sell out. Change is necessary for some artists, for some people like Zakk Wylde or Ani Difranco you get subtle changes because they release music so often it's hard to notice big changes, but some artists make big changes, stylistic shifts.

Samael spent 10 years doing the blackened death metal shit and you can hear changes in their music along the way. Obviously on Passage they took a sharp left, but they were already on that road with Ceremony Of Opposites. There was a natural progression along the way, and the band just took a big leap with Passage.

"Stasis in the arts is tantamount to death." —Othniel Charles Marsh

The leap wasn't between Ceremony and Passages, it was the ep in between. Ceremony is straight up Worship Him and Blood Ritual with more a streamlined approach (ie better prodcution)

They didn't sell out

They do suck though now and just don't play that sound good.

I don't think they were as gradual as bands such as Amorphis, Katatonia, Tiamat, Anathema, The Gathering and others who let it come naturally. Sameal just shifted all the sudden. From play occult, plodding BM to whatever the fuck passage is.

Two of my favorite albums of all time Ceremoney of Opposites and Triachy of the Lost Lovers from RC, very similiar, except these days one band forgot what made them great and becaue they were "Sameal" they go a free pass for it while people shit all over new Tiamat which is so much better.

:shock:

u-hum... What?!

Did you just kind of repeat what I said? The Rebellion EP was still heavier, though. Different, sure, but Passage was where things drastically changed.


You totally just repeated me there. Cut the shit, leeeeeee! :roll:

For sure they are, I will take the first 3 Sameal any day of Ulver even as great as Bergatt is. Not to mention Sameal at least pretends they once played Metal these days. Gharm wants to go hang out on the Ali G show and be a DJ.