Review by Tomek on July 31, 2013.

Argentina. Till I checked the net I couldn’t really remember any bands that come from down there. I can’t believe I was forgetting so many great names that created so many great titles. I have to find time to dig few of them out and spend some time properly headbanging to all of them. But right now let’s concentrate and steer our attention into a direction of Mortuorial Eclipse and their debut album “The Aethyrs’ Call”.

From the very beginning passion, anger and darkness are oozing from every composition on this album. What could be loosely described as relentless assault of Blackened Death Metal heavily soaked with orchestrations and topped with ferocious vocals is just a bunch of words in comparison to what happens here. It isn’t a new combination by any means and I don’t think they aimed for that but it’s done well and with a lot of thought put into it. Let’s take lyrics for example. Instead of using verse/chorus formula that plague most of the releases in the genre, what we have here are more invocations of ancient spirits, Babylonian spells summoning the darkness and calling out ancient gods. Mysticism entwined with archaic themes and then mixed with extremes of sound.

Recipe that those guys came up with seems quite simple. Combine majestic orchestrations with dynamic and diverse guitar work, add rumbling bass, have vocalist scream his soul out, do it in every song on the album and you’re gonna have an album that is full of power, aggression and chaos which are compulsory considering the length of most of the songs. Very much is happening guitar-wise on this album and it’s very rich and exposed so there is no need to stick your ear to the speaker. Energetic and masterfully played with breakdowns and occasional solos guitars create devilish moods and twists. Orchestra driven atmospheres are also ever-present on this recording creating grandiose theatrical aura, bringing the whole album close to a symphonic opus. It moves the album a little bit into a soundtrack territory, but it is eerie and evil sounding and it raises overall feeling of the album a notch up. That album is one monstrous beast and there is no way really to point to any particular songs, but if I had to - I would choose ‘At The Gates Of The Marduk’s Shrine’ and ‘Orion’s Progeny’ which somehow stuck in my mind a little more than the others.

“The Aethyrs’ Call” is an album that needs to be listened loud. Some of the most intriguing parts come to the surface when volume is past eleven, but also because recording sounds a little muddy. It could be deliberate, could be accidental, but in times of digital recording - very noticeable. It did not bother me at all and this album is one of my favorite albums in the last couple of months, but I figured that it needs to be said. Nonetheless I recommend this one to anyone with a fix for some fresh and interesting Symphonic Black Metal.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 9
Production: 7
Originality: 7
Overall: 8

Rating: 8 out of 10

Review by Felix on June 9, 2019.

Samael have taken their listeners on a long journey. It began with Worship Him and it still has not come to an end. Nevertheless, it is already clear that their trip from a pitch-black debut to electronic, danceable sounds is remarkable. (Danceable for people with normal motor skills, not for me.) Unfortunately, the here reviewed album has nothing that deserves the aforementioned attribute. Frankly speaking, I never understood the enthusiasm for Worship Him.

The songs are lame, they want to be atmospheric, but they fail to create appropriate feelings. A crucial factor are the guitars, because they do not deliver outstanding riffs, massive leads or anything else that attract my attention. "Knowledge of the Ancient Kingdom" is the first track with a more or less enthralling guitar line, but everything remains fragmentary. The Swiss dudes deliver songs with breaks for the sake of itself, the song-writing skills are still in their infancy and memorable parts do not show up. I respect the musician's intention to create an album of pure blackness, but this does not mean that I like the result. For example, the lead singer tries to create tension at the beginning of the chorus of "Into the Pentagram", but the guitars sound sleepy and uninspired. Another wasted opportunity.

Maybe I jump to conclusions, but my geographically inspired assumption is that the guys were influenced by Hellhammer / Celtic Frost. This could explain why the band presents so many slow- or mid-paced sections, just think of some sluggishly creeping monsters of the legendary formation(s). But the total commitment to the eternal blackness is missing - or Samael are simply not able to express it. In hindsight, Vorphalack has used the word primitive to describe the record. I would not go that far, because Samael try to vary their tunes. However, they do not achieve the intended effect. Too many section just pass by, they remain faceless and taste vapid. The lyrics also fail to deliver interesting aspects. Buzzwords like "Cthulu", "Death" and "Pentagram" alone are not enough to create interesting poetry.

Few songs are pretty decent, for example the pretty fast and slightly horrific "Black Face" or "The Dark", an instrumental. It is more or less the only song with a good drive, a lively and powerful configuration and a tight interplay of guitars and rhythm section. Yet most pieces go hand in hand with the pretty flat production. The relatively powerless mix fails to give the unripe material a professional touch. The raw vocals are put in the right position, but the overall picture of the sound leaves me cold. In short, this album gathers dusk on my shelf, together with miserable works such as Master's or Immolation's debut ("Dawn of Possession" has an average of 92%? Are you kidding? No? What the hell is wrong with me?). Thank God, unlike Master or Immolation, Samael were still growing. Blood Ritual and in particular Ceremony of Opposites provide evidence.

Rating: 4 out of 10