Review by Felix on March 31, 2023.

In my humble opinion, Samael's third full-length is the best album that the dudes released so far. Honestly speaking, it is my expectation that the institution from Switzerland will never reach the level of this work again. Of course, the band has modified its style in a significant manner, but this is not the crucial factor. Of greater relevance is the thrilling combination of nefariousness and perfidy that forms the basis of "Ceremony of Opposites". With regard to the further evolution of the versatile group, the exact recipe for this mixture seems to be irretrievably lost. We must take the most of the moment and delve into the here presented album from time to time. Welcome to the ten monolithic ashlars of "Ceremony of Opposites" that await you in total darkness.

"Black Trip" - this is not only the title of the opener. At the same time, it describes the programmatic approach of the album in a very precise manner. Subversive guitar lines unite with demonic vocals and their interplay has the power to turn the brightest day into the blackest night. Without being brutal in the narrow sense of the term, Samael pledge allegiance to the very sinister side of metal. Their rhythms are almost groovy and, I know it sounds absurd, danceable. Despite this fact, any type of positive feeling does not show up. Instead, the actors keep a close eye on other features. Rarely pompous (at the beginning of "'Till We Meet Again"), sometimes desperate and always diabolical, this is the impulsive mix that the band presents. It is a crude yet fascinating intertwining of cold-heartedness and passion. Amazingly enough, Samael never lose their way. This means, among other things, that velocity is of minor relevance. Instead, the group enjoys the depth of mid-tempo rhythms without boring the listener. The drilling guitars alone are able to keep up the tension and the occasionally occurring keyboards, for example at the start of "Flagellation" or at the end of the title track, increase the menacing and misanthropic aura of the album.

Although this aura has absolutely nothing in common with that of a happy event, the fittingly titled full-length thrives on its ceremonial character. The band is to be strongly commended for having created an almost ritualistic style without falling back on folkloristic elements. I want to emphasize this, because sometimes exactly these elements endanger the metallic fundament of the albums of Samael's competitors. But maybe the Swiss band just had no choice. The sound of cowbells and alphorns would not have been a good idea, if I am not mistaken. Samael were aware of this situation and set the focus on a dense, abysmal and domineering production. It appears as the more or less perfect technical implementation of the musician's sombre visions. The high quality level of the sound matches with that of the compositions themselves and some of the best tunes scream for a detailed description.

The opener, "Baphomet's Throne" and the title track form an unholy trinity. While "Black Trip" kicks off the album with sharp leads, the song about the demon marks the highlight in the centre of the album in view of its negativity and relentlessness. The ponderous title track finishes the full-length while leading the audience to the fathomless pits of eternal damnation. But one thing is for sure. Despite the glory of these tracks, the old saying applies: the whole is more than the sum of its parts. Therefore, I strongly recommend to listen to the album from the beginning to the end in order to experience its constantly growing atmosphere. Even more than 20 years after its release, the impenetrably dark flair of the output is still impressive. Samael demonstrate a radical approach without neglecting melodic elements. As far as I can see, this kind of radicalism has remained unique. I do not know any other (younger) band that has been able to create a work with an extremely robust flair which is based on the same compositional formula. Viewed from this perspective, this ceremony must continue.

Rating: 9 out of 10