You know that feeling when you're both satisfied and not at the same time? I certainly do. We'd met before, long ago — I'd even lost the phone number — and then suddenly, there it is, dropping by for a visit. Under the pretext of "having tea," it actually brought along the new album from Swedish band SATARIEL, which I'd been dying to hear. Understandably, it wasn't out of any particular fondness for the band, but because someone somewhere mentioned that the maestro Marcolin himself appeared on "Phobos and Deimos." And that, you'll agree, is worth its weight in gold.
So here's the thing — all of you who, like me, are nostalgic for the glory days of CANDLEMASS, please don't bother. Marcolin's presence on the album amounts to a parrot's wing, and what is there has been sampled to an indecent degree, turning what were intended as "powerful" choruses into something resembling a skipping record. It sounds... silly, I suppose? Something like: "Not enough girls? We'll inflate some more!" Childish...
But otherwise, the album is strong. Not a masterpiece, but solidly crafted, with its own hits, vocal wails a la LINKIN PARK (pardon moi for the comparison — it just seemed that way), a devilishly well-designed booklet, and a dose of bestial fury. The whirlwind-like "Coffin Gateways" and "Stranger World" are instantly memorable, and "The Sun Is Grey" (that very track with the sampled Marcolin), truth be told, is quite good. "Greater Than God," despite being childishly simplistic, has the makings of a genuine — knock on wood! — anthem. You know, like RAMMSTEIN's "Du Hast" — for children ages 2 to 5 :)...
What I didn't like: the same thing that always bothered me about IN FLAMES and their ilk. Drive, drive, drive — after about twenty minutes, all that "drive" turns — may posterity forgive me! — into fatigue, accompanied by an itch in the ear canals. With SATARIEL, it's not all that bad — the guys try to mix thrash with death and black metal in varying proportions, which adds an element of variety. But you can't live on that alone, can you? You crave something for the soul as well, and... there's nothing. Searched and searched, but never found it. Still, give it a try — perhaps you'll have a bit more luck than I did.