Switzerland's Castor and Pollux were Samael and their lesser known sibling Alastis. Similar in their approach, only Samael was the evil twin. The worship of the black mass and all things unholy until they found Laibach and blasted off into space. Alastis were left behind, the lonely, depressed and hopeless romantic that never got the attention of their more famous sibling.
Alastis focused more on a doomy and atmospheric form of dark metal that was surprisingly quite catchy and at times uplifting. They were masters of the subtle art of building their songs. Not in any new or creative ways, but in ways that just stuck with you. As much as we come back to Samael as a reference point, it's really quite easy to see that Alastis was Samael if they had continued to play in a metal style and focused on a more doomy and goth influenced approach. A relaxing listen not meant to make you focus on acts of domestic terrorism, Alastis is indeed a moody sort of beast to get you through your more downtrodden moments of life. They managed to mark out a 5 album career (including 3 on century media) and then called it a day... Not a bad legacy to leave behind.
Personally Revenge is the place to start at their most polished best, but ...And Death Smiled and The Other SIde are also excellent albums to begin with. Then absorb the other two as needed.
LIKE A DREAM
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