Samael Eternal CD

Having brought their unique electro-black metal vision to a stylistic zenith on 1996's spectacular Passage, there was really no way for Switzerland's Samael to go but down -- and down they went with an efficient but quite unremarkable follow-up in 1999's Eternal. Ironically, by achieving a more seamless blend of its predecessor's disparate sonic elements -- savage black metal, pulsing techno and industrial elements, orchestral backdrops, etc. -- Eternal's songs largely nullified the striking contrasts that had made previous efforts so special to begin with. One need look no further than ho-hum exercises like "Year Zero," "Ailleurs," and "Nautilus & Zeppelin" for proof, and very infrequent exceptions to this rule like "Supra Karma" and "Infra Galaxia" only helped to drive the point home by prioritizing those contrasts more clearly. Also less than impressive, the nearly comatose "Together" (clearly inspired by Swedish goth deathsters Tiamat) dragged its leaden chorus through the muck for what felt like an eternity, and several programmed drumbeats spread throughout seemed to have been lifted right out of ZZ Top's Eliminator. But the late-album oddity "Being" did show a belated creative spark by mixing honky tonk piano with sarcastically snazzy death metal grunting, which was at least good for a well-needed laugh. In the end, however, Eternal wound up disappointing expectations that had been raised inordinately high by Samael's most recent albums, sending the group into a career tailspin it would only emerge from some five years later. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Having brought their unique techno-inflected death metal vision to fruition on 1996's remarkable Passage, there was only one way for Switzerland's Samael to go. You guessed it: down -- and down they go (if only slightly), with an efficient but unremarkable follow-up in 1999's Eternal. Ironically, by achieving a more seamless blend of the band's core sonic elements (savage death metal riffing and demonic choruses underpinned by eerie synthesizer melodies and electronic drum patterns), the album lacks the spark that made previous efforts so striking. The results are still quite special when these contrasts are resurrected for stand-out tracks like "Us," "Supra Karma," and "Infra Galaxia," but for the most part, unexciting offerings like "Year Zero," "Ailleurs," and "Nautilus & Zeppelin" abound. Hidden near the end of the album, "Being" deserves mention for its off-the-wall combination of honky tonk piano and death metal grunting, but the more commercial "Together" loses some points for its similarities to Swedish goth-deathsters Tiamat. A far from disappointing album, Eternal simply fails to upstage its powerful predecessor, but it still provides an ideal second glimpse at Samael. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Having brought their unique techno-inflected black metal vision to a zenith on 1996's remarkable Passage, there was really only one way for Switzerland's Samael to go. You guessed it: down -- and down they go with an efficient but unremarkable follow-up in 1999's Eternal. Ironically, achieving a more seamless blend of their core but disparate sonic elements (harsh vocals, savage black metal riffing and demonic choruses underpinned by eerie synthesizer melodies and electronic drum patterns), nullifies much of the striking contrast responsible for giving previous efforts their special spark. Not surprisingly, standout tracks like "Us," "Supra Karma," and "Infra Galaxia" rely on those very same contrasts to succeed, but, for the most part, its relatively fluid, unexciting offerings like "Year Zero," "Ailleurs," and "Nautilus & Zeppelin" that abound here. Elsewhere: hidden near the end of the album, "Being" deserves mention for its off the wall combina

Deluxe Edition

Audio Remasterer: Ulf Horbelt.

Recording information: Mountain Studios, Switzerland (1999).

Samael: Vorph (vocals, guitar); Kaos (guitar); Xy (keyboards, percussion, programming); Masmiseim (bass guitar).

Audio Mixer: