SAMAEL – Passage Gatedfold-LP (Black Vinyl)

Limited to 250 copies, black vinyl.

This is magnificent. That is the first thing that popped into my head after playing it for the first time, and then the countless times afterwards, delaying my schoolwork. "Screw school, listen to metal!" right kids? No, I'm wrong. Go to school. Anyway, "Passage" is an almost perfect amalgamation of symphonic black metal and industrial metal. May be the best I've heard in a while, if not my entire career as a metal enthusiast. The album starts off with an amazing riff that made me smile the second I heard it, "Rain", my, what an opener.

The album continues down the same awesome path of industrial passages that make you want to dance (hence my title) and riffs that make you headbang 'til your head is sore. Needless to say, my teachers are worried as to why I like to nod to everything. Amazing to say it never gets boring, the riffs are all amazing, really heavy, really aplenty. None recycled. The guitars just might be my favorite aspect of the entire album.