Whoa! Satan Rules! I have just finished my examination of Lucifer's large intestine by using the gloveless method, after of course having completed my H.I.M.  review so now it's about time I started writing something about Samael. This is of course Osmose's 1991 re-release of this glorious and very influencing album for the new generation of Black Metal bands, kindly offered by Century Media Records.
Samael is considered to be an important innovator of contemporary Black Metal. What you are actually about to listen to here, is the evil debut of Swiss Black metallers Samael. It is rather obvious that there are huge differences between Samael of 1991 and the band today, sound wise speaking, and in the way the band composes and delivers its songs nowadays. The vocals and the whole songwriting process is rather raw and an in your face attitude can be observed here very easily! The whole climate in this album follows the rather semi-cliche attitude of evil spreads all around here and this case is also applied on the artwork too. But this is not rather bad since we are talking about 1991, right?
The album kicks off with Sleep Of Death, slowly with the addition of certain atmospheric keyboards which create an eerie background and let Samael begin their nuclear assault straight from the depths of hell. The vocals are kind of sick and scary at the same time. I would dare name the first Samael album as a cult Metal classic (not also forgetting the second one, Blood Ritual). The album has a raw production that fits all of Samael's evil purposes. Instrumental tracks such as The Dark or Last Benediction must not escape your attention since they are true evil masterpieces.
There are scattered Hellhammer influences throughout the album. The band is generally recognized as one of the most sophisticated Black Metal bands in Europe nowadays but it is true that they used to be much more primitive and faithful to old style Heavy Metal during the Worship Him days. The album sold over 10,000 copies in Europe. There are several live songs added - taken from several Samael  periods - to spice up the album and to attract extra possible buyers.
To sum it up, blacksters! This is definitely a classic Black Metal album and this re-release must not escape your attention! Hail to Lucifer's large intestine!
- Album Highlights: Worship Him, Into the Pentagram, Rite Of Cthulhu, Last Benediction, The Dark and of course Manitou.