Customer Reviews

Passage

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This CD was the last cry from what Samael used to be. Now, with their raw combination of techno and metal, one is left with basically nothing of what this band once was. (There might be people who like new Samael, though) Even here we can see a few traces of the metamorphosis Samael was about to go through; but fortunately for some of us, it was left minimal.

This CD shows the classic standards Samael is so well known; the epic sound of keyboards and guitars, misanthropic lyrics, etc. But there is a stronger line of it all in here. My only complain is the song Jupiterian Vibe, the middle segment should not have been there.

To be sincere with you, I bought this CD solely for Xytras' bonus CD of neo-classical interpretations of the songs from the first CD, and I most say: Wow! Xytras is a fantastic neo-classical player and that piano sounds epic and haunting at best, I actually find myself listening to it more that to Samael's "Passage" CD instead!

A good departure of old Samael.

I always have been interested in Samael's music and the impressive Ceremony Of Opposites has got me more and more into them. and then i've got this album. They truly can make black metal an exciting thing. They mix awesome orchestration, beautiful melodies, great musicianship and brutal black metal all in one. this is one of the greatest black metal albums out there.

I love the album, but wheres the second disc amazon describes? I was disappointed to find out the second disc wasn't included :(

This is a goodie worth adding to your collection if you haven't already. The guitar playing is very good and engaging in its aggressive rhythms and atmospheric power. There are tons of synthesizer work in every song creating the backbone of the album with creative and diverse sound structures and rhythms. The vocals are powerful, an understandable form of death/black growls. The songs are all well written and interesting and two have very nice piano playing in the background the whole time. The first track is definately a standout track. Very catchy. This is definitely my favorite Samael album so far.

By many, Passage is considered Samael's pinnacle of success. First of all, the line-up had undergone some changes. Rodolphe decided to leave the band, and Xy took over on keyboards. This leaving the band without a drummer, they decided to experiment with a drum computer instead of a live drummer. Kaos was also added on guitars to make it easier to play the two guitar parts on albums, and especially live. Xy programming all the intricate drums and the keyboards which almost take a primary role on this album, shows his immense musical talent. Samael also completely abandoned their earlier black metal themes. A very industrial and almost techno-sounding album, Passage revealed a completely new genre in metal, which cannot be described as anything else than just Samael'. With heavy, wicked riffs blending seamlessly with the multi-layered keyboards and ambient, this album is a true classic. Vorph's voice also changed, still containing the mighty and rasp sound of earlier work, but expressing more feeling and softness. The tracks are also very varied, with the sad, eautiful piano melodies of Angel's Decay and Moonskin, to the fast and powerful riffs of Rain and Jupiterian Vibe, to the new-age ambient feel of Liquid Soul Dimension; this album has it all. A true landmark of metal music. http://members01.chello.se/viktordz/infragalaxia

Metal, so to speak, is not my usual music of choice -- I'm an industrial fan through and through. I'd never even heard of Samael until a coworker brought it in and blasted it in the stockroom during lunch. I went and bought "Eternal" the next day, thought it was OK....then I found "Passage." Good Lord! sums up what I have to say. Samael finds new ways to define the word "intense." From the wall of guitar noise to Vorph's gutteral, almost inhuman shouts (much like the electronically distorted vocals of industrial I know and love) to the smashing percussion and scattered electronics...talk about being hit with a sonic sledgehammer. These guys are as vicious as it gets, and at the same time, Passage is a meticulously crafted piece of metal art. The guitars and synths fit together in a seamless way I've not heard previously, making each song a finely tuned engine of force. As for the lyrics....I've never heard lyrics that inspire such a feeling of otherworldliness (especially "Rain", "Jupiterian Vibe", and "The Ones Who Came Before"), much like the effect of reading Lovecraft. One gets a sense that Samael has indeed stepped beyond the threshold of this world and brought back knowledge the rest of us can only dream of. Another favorite of mine is the eerie, almost faerie-tale-like "Moonskin". Other reviewers have noted the bonus Xytras CD, and it is phenomenal -- it's what Claus Larsen (aka Leaether Strip) wanted to do when he recorded Serenade for the Dead (and, in my opinion, failed). Talk about Danse Macabre....Xytras is Mozart's Evil Twin. Korn, Fear Factory, Rammstein... these bands are anemic in comparison to the aural assault and other-dimensional lyrics of Samael.

Great cd. one of the 10 best lps to come out of the 90s. It WILL stand the test of time. Samael is progressive and diverse. Definetly different, but don't worry fans of Ceremony of Oppistes, it still sounds like the Samael we all love and adore.

This is the best Samael album there is in my opinion. Angel's Decay and Moonskin are two incredibly good songs and the rest of the album is very well composed as well.

samael is one of the most creative bands around the world.
and this is one of their best cd's you can get.

this cd contains music that is created and remains forever.

the production of the music is clear: rough, strong guitars; harsh strong vocals in the particular style of Vorph...clear drumming and an amazing array of atmosphere, brought by Xy's genius.
their melodies are extremely catchy and will get you in your head for all your life.
songs are overall dynamic -fast enough-, very aggressive, and very intense.
lyrically, their concepts handle the universe, existence, nature...in a very "budism" way I'd say...so this makes them intelligent and daring...you'll discover a lot of things in their lyrics.
definitely one of my top albums in my 28 year life.

This is a pleasing album from Samael. The best songs are Rain and My Saviour. For some reason, Samael has a weird ability to make a small number of great songs, and a larger number of so-so songs. Most of the songs on this album are only so-so. The two I named above are great. I recommend this for any fan of Samael, and any fan of death metal.