Almost year and a half after the release of "Above", SAMAEL are back with this EP, "Antigod". During those thirteen years, Vorph and his band mates gave us some surprises, since we have heard albums from black metal to industrial - electronic metal (?). Their last EP, until now, "Exodus", was released backing 1998. But there is a small difference. In 1998 EP, all songs were new and not included in previous or forthcoming releases. In "Antigod" we have two new songs "Antigod"and "Ten Thousand Years", a remix "Antigod", a new version of "Into The Pentagram", a song firstly recorded back in late 80's, and two live recordings of past songs.

So allow me to start with the two live recordings and the "new" "Into The Pentagram", before continuing with the two new ones. "Reign Of Light" a song from the self titled 2004 album. I really do like the more electronic - industrial turn of SAMAEL but I enjoyed this live recording, since the song is more aggressive... more Metal if I may say. Even the keys sound heavier! "Slavocracy" again is based more on the guitars and the keys are in more in the background, making the song again heavier. "Into The Pentagram" has, of course, better production and had a small lifting, with the addition of some keys. Vorph vocals are close to the first recording, but they don't have that sick dark feeling full of blasphemy that the original one has. I don't know if there is the overall production or that his voice is a tone or two down, but I think that it lacks of atmosphere. Not that it is a bad recording. Many bands would kill to have a song like this, with this recording, in their album.

As for the two new songs, "Antigod" is a typical, for the newer days, SAMAEL track, with a slow tempo and a black metal essence, The fans of the band, even the older ones that left them after the musical turn they did, will like "Antigod". The only "disadvantage" is that it lacks the element of surprise, since the composition has a linear progress. As for the last song of this 25 minute EP, "Ten Thousand Years", well there are not many things to write about. An instrumental composition that it repeats itself even from the first two minutes, sounding more as a soundtrack for a movie or a RPG video game. It is a nice pompous track, but it feels like a filler, and in an EP this sound bad;.

Even though I am a huge fan of SAMAEL's music, I wasn't impressed with this EP. I was expecting more new songs, or unreleased ones. As for "Antigod" it is a song that leaves good promises from the upcoming album in 2011. We just have to wait and see.