Samael (band)

Samael is a heavy metal band formed in 1987 in Sion, Switzerland.

Although much of their music from the mid-1990s onwards has incorporated electronic sounds which would best define their genre as industrial metal, they are an early 2nd wave black metal band and innovator for post-black metal styles.

Their first demos presented a slow, doomy style of thrash metal with raw vocals, similar to that of Celtic Frost. Some of the songs would be included on Worship Him (1991) and Blood Ritual (1992), which was assisted in distribution with the help of late guitarist Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth) of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem.

Around the time of Ceremony of Opposites (1994), the band started using industrial-styled song techniques, employed by the use of keyboards and (minimalist) acoustic percussion. By this time, they had also left French record label Osmose Productions and signed with Century Media Records.

Their album Passage (1996) saw them gather a larger audience, with the music video for the song "Jupiterian Vibe" getting airplay on MTV's Headbanger's Ball.

After the release of Eternal (1999), Samael would not renew their contract with Century Media. In 2004, Reign of Light was released through independent label Galactical Records.

In 2006, their album Era One was released on Century Media Records. It includes a bonus disc, "Lesson in Magic #1," which is entirely instrumental and done solely by band member Xy. The album itself was recorded in 2002, and the bonus disc a year later. Both were rearranged and remixed in 2005.

In June 2007 they released the album Solar Soul, which summed up and combined many of the styles of their previous albums since "Passage"

Band members Vorph and Xy are reputidly brothers.

Discography

Albums

Worship Him (1991)
Blood Ritual (1992)
Ceremony of Opposites (1994)
Passage (1996)
Eternal (1999)
Reign of Light (2004)

Solar Soul (2007)

Other releases

1987 - 1992 (Compilation, 1995)
Rebellion (EP, 1995)
Exodus (EP, 1998)
Black Trip (DVD, 2003)
Telepath (Single, 2004)
On Earth (Single, 2005)
Era One (2006) (side project of Vorph and Xy)
Aeonics - An Anthology (Compilation, 2007)
Valkyries New Ride (Single, 2007)
Xytras released a neo-classical remix of Passage and Exodus in 1998.

Line-up

Vorph - Vocals, Guitar
Makro - Guitar
Mas - Bass (ex-Alastis)
Xy - Live and Programmed Drums, Keyboards, Samples

Former members

Rodolphe H. - Keyboards & Samples on Ceremony of Opposites and Rebellion.
Kaos - Guitar on Passage, Exodus and Eternal
Pat Charvet - Drums (1987-1988)

External links