So this is the first new review in awhile and the first in this new blog format. Maybe that’s appropriate as this new Samael album is their first to truly crush in many years. In the early 90s Samael made a name for themselves as an up and coming death metal band, and their “Ceremony of Opposites” would become a genre classic in the eyes (and ears) of many.

In ’96 their sound changed on the “Passages” album when they began incorporating synth and industrial elements alongside the crushing metal. While this was indeed a great album, it was the beginning of a metamorphosis that would find Samael all but abandoning heavy guitar work.

I’ve enjoyed some of these later albums, but never as much as the early albums (I hate to be that guy who says the early albums are better, but it can’t be helped sometimes.) So it was a very pleasant surprise to find that on this latest album Samael has returned to their roots with a vengeance. This album is fast and heavy and completely removed from the previous era of work.

I won’t bother talking about the reasons for this change in sound, it’s been written about enough already in all the metal rags, I’ll just go on record as saying I’m glad their evil has found its true form once again. If like me you’ve been yearning for this day, rejoice and thrash on. If you’ve never experienced the heavier side of Samael, now is a good time to check them out.

Gods help me, but I love these guys. Yeah, they are part of the current breed of annoying punk-pop wanna-be’s, but I just can’t help loving anything BFS does. The songs feel somewhat contrived, yet there’s enough truth in there that I can relate to many of the songs and laugh along with the band.

I know they’ve worked with Butch Walker in the past (and his handiwork graces part of this album as well) and they’ve definitely perfected his style of sugary punk pop (see Butch’s Marvelous 3 album “Ready, Sex, Go”) so in my book that’s a plus for them. I’ve never understood why Butch Walker isn’t the biggest songwriter in rock music, because his lyrics are just killer and he writes great catchy hooks.

So anyway, anyone who hasn’t heard BFS’ huge hit “1985″ is living under a rock. Co-written with Mitch and John from SR-71 “1985″ made all of us thirty-something people reflect on the last two decades and smile. Heading back to that well again for their new single “High School Never Ends” BFS can appeal to a wider audience this time. The youngsters of today can listen to it and relate to the petty high school drama they are living through, while the rest of us can listen and nod while agreeing with his assessment.

Many BFS songs focus on the singer’s unlucky in love romantic disasters. These are often told with tongue-in-cheek humor which is part of what makes them so endearing. While “Burrito” has it’s share of these songs (”Why Don’t I Miss You”, “A Friendly Goodbye”) it also has a new optimistic outlook as evidenced in “I’m Gay” where the lyrics plead “Don’t hate us because we’re happy” and how they think “Rock and roll is really funny when it’s serious”. Halfway through the song the singer leads the other band members in declaring “It’s perfectly fine to be a happy individual”.

I’m getting a little wordy here, so I’ll try to wrap this up. I think if this style of music is your thing then you will probably enjoy this album. I haven’t been able to get it out of my car stereo for weeks. Even my wife didn’t mind listening to it in the car.