Review by Shadowdoom9 (Andi) for Samael - Rebellion (1995)

As I continue my revisiting journey of Samael, we're heading down to a special EP. Rebellion marks the end of the band's black metal era and the start of their ongoing industrial metal era. Here we have two new tracks, two re-recorded tracks, and two instrumentals, one of the instrumentals having its own German vocal edition as a hidden track. Sure a few traces of their black metal era remains, such as those two re-recordings and the last bit of D-flat tuning, but mostly, a new industrial era has opened up...

So how has the sound turned out? Pretty great! Lots of catchy and heavy riffs. And the style really does live up to the fact that it's the bridge between Ceremony of Opposites and Passage. A few of these anthems I enjoyed a few years ago, and I still enjoy them today!

Case in point, the title track is a song useful for conquering doubtful situations in war and rebellion. "I know how little is the value of that which has a price." Then "After the Sepulture" is a more industrial remake of the best song of Blood Ritual and perhaps their black metal era, but I prefer the crushing original more. With evil slow riffing and vicious vocals by Vorph, it's a destructive highlight.

I have a problem with the Alice Cooper cover "I Love the Dead". It would've been great, but Vorph's attempt at singing it makes it a stinker. Don't worry, everything else is better. Well, not entirely better, "Static Journey" is a mediocre instrumental that's a little overlong.

Oh, when I say two re-recordings, I meant in the CD edition; a rare re-recording of "To Our Martyrs" appears in the cassette edition, and it rules! For the "Into the Pentagram" remake, I love it more than the original! The guitars and beats are greatly paced. Excellent! Then comes the untitled outro, a strange electro-techno instrumental slightly better than "Static Journey". Speaking of "Static Journey", that's the track that has its German vocal hidden track after 4 minutes of silence. A little better, JUST a little.

I would certainly recommend Rebellion to any fan of Samael and blackened industrial metal, though mostly for the awesome title track and re-recordings. The average instrumentals are better experienced by fans of electro-industrial. And that Alice Cooper cover? NAH....

Favorites: "Rebellion", "After the Sepulture", "To Our Martyrs", "Into the Pentagram"