Samael Reign of Light
Regain Records RR055
By Anna Novitzky
When a lass doesnt take drugs and tends to stay away from forty-eight-hour raves, its somewhat unusual for her to experience those altered states of consciousness her less puritan acquaintances are always going on about. Sometimes, though, she can take quiet comfort from the knowledge that shes always got industrial metal to fall back on.
From the opening ethnic strains of sitar and drums to the omnipresent driving guitars and hoarse snarling, theres a mesmeric quality to Reign of Light. Its all Eastern European bombastic harshness and repetitive pounding, like a subdued Rammstein singing in English; theres the same feeling of sensual, barely repressed anger, but a much greater impression of seriousness and sensitivity that gives the album an extra twist of intensity. Theres nothing particularly spectacular going on musically one track is pretty much indistinguishable from the next, equipped as they all are with the same clean, gut-wrenching but unadventurous guitar-work, spacey background keyboards and the aforementioned gravelly vocals but it all comes together to make for a strangely enjoyable experience. Youll find yourself nodding along to the beat even if you thought you werent really listening, and for those who are into that sort of thing the relentlessness lends itself well to big-fish-little-fish-cardboard-box; close your eyes and you might almost be in a metal club on cyber night, only without all the shoving. Played loud enough, the vibrations it sent across the floor made my pet snake wake up and dance. You cant get a better recommendation than that.
Reign of Light is unremarkable but plenty of fun. Listen to it when suffering sleep-deprivation and it might just put you into a trance; try it when more alert and you might just discern the multicultural moral message behind the lyrics. Nine out of ten domestic reptiles choose Samael.
(6/10)
Official Samael Website
Official Regain Records Website
Regain Records RR055
By Anna Novitzky
When a lass doesnt take drugs and tends to stay away from forty-eight-hour raves, its somewhat unusual for her to experience those altered states of consciousness her less puritan acquaintances are always going on about. Sometimes, though, she can take quiet comfort from the knowledge that shes always got industrial metal to fall back on.
From the opening ethnic strains of sitar and drums to the omnipresent driving guitars and hoarse snarling, theres a mesmeric quality to Reign of Light. Its all Eastern European bombastic harshness and repetitive pounding, like a subdued Rammstein singing in English; theres the same feeling of sensual, barely repressed anger, but a much greater impression of seriousness and sensitivity that gives the album an extra twist of intensity. Theres nothing particularly spectacular going on musically one track is pretty much indistinguishable from the next, equipped as they all are with the same clean, gut-wrenching but unadventurous guitar-work, spacey background keyboards and the aforementioned gravelly vocals but it all comes together to make for a strangely enjoyable experience. Youll find yourself nodding along to the beat even if you thought you werent really listening, and for those who are into that sort of thing the relentlessness lends itself well to big-fish-little-fish-cardboard-box; close your eyes and you might almost be in a metal club on cyber night, only without all the shoving. Played loud enough, the vibrations it sent across the floor made my pet snake wake up and dance. You cant get a better recommendation than that.
Reign of Light is unremarkable but plenty of fun. Listen to it when suffering sleep-deprivation and it might just put you into a trance; try it when more alert and you might just discern the multicultural moral message behind the lyrics. Nine out of ten domestic reptiles choose Samael.
(6/10)
Official Samael Website
Official Regain Records Website
