Samael

Having brought their unique techno-inflected death metal vision to fruition on 1996's remarkable Passage, there was only one way for Switzerland's Samael to go. You guessed it: down -- and down they go (if only slightly), with an efficient but unremarkable follow-up in 1999's Eternal. Ironically, by achieving a more seamless blend of the band's core sonic elements (savage death metal riffing and demonic choruses underpinned by eerie synthesizer melodies and electronic drum patterns), the album lacks the spark that made previous efforts so striking. The results are still quite special when these contrasts are resurrected for stand-out tracks like "Us," "Supra Karma," and "Infra Galaxia," but for the most part, unexciting offerings like "Year Zero," "Ailleurs," and "Nautilus & Zeppelin" abound. Hidden near the end of the album, "Being" deserves mention for its off-the-wall combination of honky tonk piano and death metal grunting, but the more commercial "Together" loses some points for its similarities to Swedish goth-deathsters Tiamat. A far from disappointing album, Eternal simply fails to upstage its powerful predecessor, but it still provides an ideal second glimpse at Samael. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia, Rovi