At the dawn of the ’90s, SAMAEL emerged with their debut album “Worship Him”, setting the foundation of Black Metal for a whole generation. Since then the band continuously evolved into a more sophisticated sound to become a major name in today’s metal music. After five solid albums and several side releases, SAMAEL established themselves as a creative force and sonic phenomenon. The band discography is a series of highlights: “Ceremony Of Opposites” (1994), “Passage” (1996), “Eternal” (1999). All these releases have been very well received by the international press and unanimously praised by both professional and public listeners. That alone should make SAMAEL worth everyone’s attention. Yet above all, the band is regarded as an unforgettable live experience, a glimpse of which has been captured and released on their first DVD “Black Trip” (2003). Forged through a decade of constant touring, the reputation of the band’s incredible live performances is well deserved. Hundreds more…. of shows in Europe and America – including numerous festival appearances – continued to build the band’s name. Their new album “Reign Of Light” (October 2004) sees SAMAEL entering another dimension. Recorded in Switzerland, co-produced by long time friend/producer Waldemar Sorychta and mixed in Sweden by Europe’s noted Stefan Glaumann, “Reign Of Light” is their most advanced work yet. After two years of silence, legendary band SAMAEL from Switzerland is back with their new full length album „Above“! Expect a harsh dissonance to the catchy and electronica-meets-metal approach of the predecessor “Solar Soul”. Harking back to the good old Black Metal days of SAMAEL, the band`s ninth effort combines the extreme sounds of the era 1994 – 1996 with sophisticated songwriting and unearthly grooves. Produced by the band and mixed by the one and only Mr. Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, OPETH, ARCH ENEMY), “Above” surely is the most surprising and aggressive in the whole SAMAEL discography! Let`s hear what enigmatic frontman Vorph has to say about this upcoming aural assault: “Above” was first meant to be a separate project because we thought it was too unbalanced and it was showing just one side of the band but then so was “Era One”. Those two records are almost perfect opposites. While “Era One” shows the band focusing on all their side influences, “Above” is a metal album through and through. Musically “Above” embedded a lot of memorable influences: Bathory, Slayer, Iron Maiden… to name just a few bands that shaped the sound of S A M A E L in the first place. It is like an enhanced version of the band 3 or 4 first albums. Some might say the missing link between “Ceremony Of Opposites” and “Passage”. The lyrical content is also reminiscent of the band approach until the album “Eternal”. It’s not a “one song one topic” type of lyrics, but that was never really the case with S A M A E L. Some of the themes tackled throughout the album are: change, personal quest, sex and ambition… something that has been part of entire S A M A E L history
