Samael wouldn?t abandon the nineties without releasing yet another divisive effort, after their earlier experimentations on the albums Ceremony Of Opposites and Passage. Eternal is the last effort in this experimental triad that transformed the band into one of the most unique musical entities in the world, and it shows them stepping into their future style and sound. The band began incorporating keyboard ambiences in 1994 and by 1996 industrial beats were already crawling deep within their music. Eternal pushes the envelope even further and is easily the most electronic sounding album of the three, with a monstrous amount of layered samples and electronic beats showcasing this. The drums take a step back and no longer indulge in double bass beats or cool cymbal strucks, instead they just keep a steady beat most of the time. The music is heavily based on Xy?s synths and programming with little room being given for conventional instruments to breathe. They?re still there but serve as more of a back muscle to the electronic spine that this album has, although the guitars take the front stage on some occasions. This album is another great piece of work and the last shred of experimentalism undergone by the band, as their future efforts would see them flirting with the material found on this triad of albums and rearranging it in different manners. This era of the band paved the basics for their future songwriting style and Eternal was the final piece on an evolutionary path that started five years before. A classic in experimental metal!