Above (Samael album)

Above
Studio album by Samael
Released March 6, 2009
Recorded Little Rock Studio, Switzerland
Genre Black metal, industrial metal
Length 42:04
Label Nuclear Blast
Producer Xy
Samael chronology

Solar Soul
(2007)		 Above
(2009)		 Lux Mundi
(2010)
Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
Allmusic [1]
Sputnikmusic [2]

Above is the eighth studio album from the heavy metal band Samael, released in March, 2009.

History

Earlier in 2009 the band began promoting a virtual death metal band from their Myspace profile. The band was called "Above" and featured computer-designed band members in a virtual world, whose lyrics and songs were written by Samael. Later through Myspace, the band announced that they would be taking their side-project Above and turning it into their newest Samael album.

Commenting on the album, Vorph said:

"After 20 years, we've tried to do an album that would represent what SAMAEL is all about and we did 'Solar Soul'. We feel now it is the right time to [remind] the people where we come from and that's exactly what 'Above' will do. It is like an enhanced version of our three or four first albums, maybe the missing link between 'Ceremony of Opposites' and 'Passage'. With the 'Era One' project we've tried to work on different influences; with 'Above' we stripped everything down."[3]

Track listing

(Copyright Prophecies Publishing)

All music composed by Vorph and Xy, except "Dark Side", entirely by Vorph.

No. Title Length
1. "Under One Flag"   3:41
2. "Virtual War"   4:04
3. "Polygames"   3:55
4. "Earth Country"   3:55
5. "Illumination"   3:30
6. "Black Hole"   3:36
7. "In There"   4:01
8. "Dark Side"   2:56
9. "God's Snake"   4:07
10. "On the Top of It All"   4:42
11. "Black Hole (Verso Mix)"   3:34

Notes

The track "Dark Side" is a reworked version of "The Black Face" from the album Worship Him.

Personnel

Production

References

  1. ↑ Rivadavia, Eduardo. "Review: Above". Allmusic. Retrieved December 20, 2009.
  2. ↑ Spencer, Trey. Above review. Sputnikmusic.com. March 9, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  3. ↑ "Samael: Above Side Project Changes to the New Album". Metal-Temple.com. December 1, 2008. Archived from the original on March 2, 2009. Retrieved August 16, 2012.