Search - Samael :: Era One + Lesson Inmagic 1

Interesting Background Noise

Ty Arthur | 04/09/2006

(2 out of 5 stars)

"With every new release, be it an EP or a full length album, Samael has evolved and matured their sound to new heights and explored musical territory not heard in their previous efforts. While primarily an extreme metal band, Samael is no stranger to softer music, having released an alternate edition of their album Passage titled "Xystras Xtras" in which all the songs were recorded using only keyboard. The two disc set Era One / Lesson in Magic #1 is much closer in style to Xystras Xtras than to heavier albums like Ceremony of Opposites, with many of the songs being entirely instrumental. Samael fans interested in checking out this release should be warned ahead of time that while Era One has moments of brilliance, it is certainly not up to the usual high standard set by these pioneers of metal. There is some dispute as to whether or not this material was even ever meant for release. It seems that Samael had a bit of a falling out with their record label, Century Media, and decided they wanted to move on to bigger and better things. Unfortunately, they still were under contractual obligation to give Century Media two more full length albums, so Era One was quickly thrown together. The fact that this album isn't even listed in the Discography section of Samael's official web site speaks volumes about the quality.



The opening title track is an entirely instrumental composition that piques the interest with multiple instruments and sound effects gradually being added on top of each other while continuing the same basic set of notes until reaching a fast paced crescendo laced with tribal drum beats. The next track, Universal Soul, sets the tone of the rest of the album with the ever present galactic themes that Samael focuses on. The lyrics continue to be of the same uplifting and inspirational nature of the Reign of Light album, but the vocals have taken a nose dive, dredging along in an uninspired manner that borders on being overtly boring. The problem isn't that vocalist Vorph has eschewed his trademark black metal growl. Many a metal band has used clean vocals with spectacular results. Opeth, Mortiis, Amorphis, Katatonia; they've all done it and with much grace. The motivation behind the vocals seems to be completely lacking here, as though Vorph were distracted or not particularly interested in what he was singing about.



A few of the tracks on the Era One disc, such as Sound of Galaxies, manage to be catchy despite the vocal issues, sticking around in the listener's head for some time after the song ends. This quality did not extend to the second disc, Lesson in Magic #1, which has almost no variety at all. The entire disc sounds like one unnecessarily long song, with none of the musical innovation that Samael has become famous for. Considering the dubious nature of this release, perhaps this was Samael's way of giving Century Media the middle finger. It certainly wasn't indicative of the direction the band was moving musically, as the next album, Solar Soul, had none of the repetition or boring pitfalls of Lesson in Magic #1.



While Era One might be useful as background noise for meditation or some sort of artistic endeavor, it is lacking in the pounding fury and chaotic melody typical of Samael albums that demand repeated spins in the CD player."

Excellent Samael Project

Jeff M. Stahl | RTP, NC | 04/06/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As a long time fan of Samael (since Blood Ritual first appeared on the scene), I've always anxiously awaited every single album they've put out so when they announced the Era One project I couldn't wait to get my hands on a copy. Well, due to record label problems, it took a year or two for it to finally come to market but I can whole-heartedly say that it was worth every second of the wait. Samael have definitely grown over the years and their style has changed drastically. While many fans haven't liked the changes Samael have taken in the evolution of their music, I've always thought that each album gets even better. Era one is no exception. It blends much of the feeling we had from Xytras' "Passage" with more of the industrial feeling we have gotten with their newer work such as "Reign of Light". My hat goes off to Samael for, in my opinion, probably one of their best albums to date.



01. Era One - 4.5/5 - Sounds like a direct hold-over from Xytras' Passage but gently leads you in to the beginning of a very hard and heavy album. Excellent intro.



02. Universal Soul - 3/5 - I felt like this one was a b-side from "Reign of Light". Good song, but not nearly as catchy as the rest.



03. Sound of Galaxies - 5/5 - This song makes a very radical departure from the Samael we're all use to. Strong techno beats and repetative chorus will stick in your mind for days to come.



04. Beyond - 3/5 - Purely programmed music. Easily forgettable.



05. Night Ride - 5/5 - Another hard hitter on Era One. Lots of techno sounds but with excellent vocals.



06. Diamond's Drops - 4.5/5 - Very catchy tune that again, you'll be singing for days to come in your head.



07. Home - 3/5 - Meh. Another repetative programmed track like Beyond. Had to do a double take to see if it wasn't the exact same song again just louder. Pass.



08. Voyage - 5/5 - Whoa. Now THIS is a different sound for Vorph in that he actually SINGS! I absolutely loved the clean vocals for a change. Totally new direction that I hope we see lots more of in the future. Has a very Middle-Eastern sound to it that's also quite different for Samael.



09. Above as Below - 3.5/5 - Nothing special. Very slow song with some strong beats. Definitely looks dull when compared to the rest of the album.



10. Koh-I-Noor - 4/5 - Has lots of programming going on, but it makes for an excellent closing track for Era One. It really sums up the album and pulls in the themes from all the previous tracks."