Band:	Samael
Album:	Hegemony
Style:	Electro industrial metal
Release date:	October 2017

01. Hegemony
02. Samael
03. Angel Of Wrath
04. Rite Of Renewal
05. Red Planet
06. Black Supremacy
07. Murder Or Suicide
08. This World
09. Against All Enemies
10. Land Of The Living
11. Dictate Of Transparency
12. Helter Skelter [The Beatles cover]
13. Storm Of Fire [bonus]

I don't mind waiting forever for a new album by a band I like. I'd rather wait 10 years than get an album that disappoints. More frequent output may mean decline in quality. Samael certainly did take their time after Lux Mundi. 6 years is the longest we've had to wait between their albums. How does wait time translate into quality? I'm happy to announce that the ratio is more than satisfactory.

Since 1996's seminal Passage, Samael's output has been pretty consistent, with the exception of Above. So don't expect any dramatic switch in musical direction. What you should expect though, is an increase in song quality. It's been hit-and-miss before, but this time every songs hits the bull's eye. The absolutely best one, "Black Supremacy" is so good that I can't really remember when was the last time that Samael sounded so good. Perhaps on Passage? But it would be unfair to point to a single song. What seems to be a solid mass of Samael's trademark sound reveals plenty of layers upon multiple listens. It's hard to believe how much effort and thought was put in every song. On the surface it's Samael's standard fare, but if you look beneath, you discover a lot of subtle elements that elevate this music to the heights Samael haven't reached in a long time.

The brilliant "Black Supremacy", isn't the only standout track. If there ever is an aural dictionary, the entry "grandiose" should be illustrated with either "Angel of Wrath" or "Red Planet". "Catchiness" would be best described with "Dictate Of Transparency", while "grizzled" is a word that was invented to depict Xy's vocals. I could go on and mention basically every song on the album, but I'll limit myself to mentioning "Helter Skelter". I don't care for covers at all, and I never mention them in reviews, but this one shows how covers should be done - a reworking of a song that shows creativity and thought. It is also worth noting that some songs see Samael abandon their usual mid-tempo range in favour of some speed ("Black Supremacy", again! Is there a compliment that song doesn't deserve?). It adds another layer of variety to this already nuanced release.

Samael's turning point was "Passage". Since then, they've stuck to the sound defined on that album, (minus "Above" of course). 21 years later, they're as strong as in 1996, Hegemony is their best since Passage. Hands down.