Samael (band)

Samael
Origin Sion, Switzerland
Genres Industrial metal, Black metal, Symphonic metal, Electronic music
Years active 1987–present
Labels Osmose Productions, Century Media, Nuclear Blast, Galactical
Associated acts Alastis
Website www.samael.info
Members Vorph
Xy
Mas
Makro
Past members Pat Charvet
Rodolphe H
Kaos

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

Biography

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 black metal band and an innovator for post-black metal styles.

Samael released their first album Worship Him in 1991 on French record label Osmose Productions; the following year they signed a multi-records deal with Century Media Records and released their second album Blood Ritual.

In early 1994, their 3rd album Ceremony of Opposites was on the market. Their music was now oriented toward industrial-sounds with addition of keyboards and use of samples.

Their album Passage (1996) saw them gather a larger audience, with the music video for the song "Jupiterian Vibe" getting airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball. A second edition was later released with a bonus disk, done solely by keyboardist Xy and titled "Xytras", containing 10 entirely instrumental remixes featuring classical piano.

After the release of Eternal - recorded and mixed in Mountain studio by David Richard (1999), Samael would not renew their contract with Century Media.

In 2004, Reign of Light was released through the band's own imprint Galactical Records. Two singles were taken from that album, "Telepath" - from which a video clip was shot and "On Earth" - including a cover of Depeche Mode's "I Feel You".

In 2006, the electronica project Era One (featuring Vorph and Xy) was released on Century Media Records. It includes a bonus disc, "Lesson in Magic No. 1", which again is entirely instrumental and done by keyboardist Xy. The album itself was recorded in 2001, and the bonus disc a year later. Both were rearranged and remixed in 2005.

In June 2007, they released the album Solar Soul, with songs as "Solar Soul", "Slavocracy" or "AVE!" It summed up and combined many of the styles of their previous albums since Passage.[1]

On March 6, 2009, Samael released Above, a full-length album described as a tribute to Samael's roots.

In June 2010, Samael began recording demos for the next album.[2] The album's first single, titled Antigod was released on November 19, 2010.[3] The album, titled Lux Mundi (which translates as "Light of the World"), was released April 29, 2011 in Europe and May 3, 2011 in North America.[4] The same month they shot a video clip for the song "Luxferre" in Sweden with director Patric Ulaeus.

Personnel

Samael logo

Members

Current members
Former members

Timeline

Discography

Albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions Sales
FRA
[5]		 SWI
[6]		 GER
[7]
Worship Him
  • Released: April 1, 1991
  • Label: Osmose Productions
  • Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download
— — —
Blood Ritual
  • Released: December 1, 1992
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download[8]
— — —
Ceremony of Opposites
  • Released: February 18, 1994
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download[9]
— — —
Passage
  • Released: September 19, 1996
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download[11]
— — 84
Eternal
  • Released: July 19, 1999
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: CD, LP, CS, digital download[12]
— — 59
Reign of Light
  • Released: October 11, 2004
  • Label: Galactical, Regain Records
  • Formats: CD, CD+DVD, CS, LP, digital download[13]
153 66 —
Era One
  • Released: January 27, 2006
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: CD, digital download[14]
 — — —
Solar Soul
  • Released: June 1, 2007
  • Label: Galactical, Nuclear Blast
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[15]
158 41 —
Above
  • Released: March 6, 2009
  • Label: Galactical, Nuclear Blast
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[16]
145 37 99
Lux Mundi
  • Released: April 29, 2011
  • Label: Nuclear Blast
  • Formats: CD, LP, digital download[17]
— 46 —
"—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.

Compilation albums

Title Album details
Recordings '88 - '89
  • Released: 1989
  • Label: Self-released
  • Formats: CS
1987-1992
  • Released: November 28, 1994
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: CD
Since the Creation...
  • Released: December 8, 2003
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: LP (BOX)
Aeonics - An Anthology
  • Released: February 26, 2007
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: CD
Medieval Prophecy
  • Released: October 28, 2008
  • Label: Necrosound Records
  • Formats: CD
A Decade in Hell
  • Released: November 22, 2010
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: CD (BOX)

EPs

Title Album details
Medieval Prophecy
  • Released: December 1988
  • Label: Necrosound
  • Formats: LP
Rebellion
  • Released: May 23, 1995
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: CD
Exodus
  • Released: June 2, 1998
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: CD
Telepath
  • Released: September 27, 2004
  • Label: Galactical
  • Formats: CD
On Earth
  • Released: June 13, 2005
  • Label: Galactical
  • Formats: CD
Antigod
  • Released: November 19, 2010
  • Label: Nuclear Blast
  • Formats: CD, digital download[18]

Video albums

Title Album details
Black Trip
  • Released: June 17, 2003
  • Label: Century Media Records
  • Formats: DVD

Music videos

Year Title Directed Album
1994 "Baphomet's Throne"
—
 Ceremony Of Opposites
1996 "Jupiterian Vibe"
—
 Passage
1999 "Infra Galaxia"
—
 Eternal
2004 "Telepath"
—
 Reign Of Light
2007 "Slavocracy"[19]
—
 Solar Soul
2009 "Black Hole" Sergeï Ulyanov[20] Above
2011 "Luxferre"[20] Patric Ullaeus Lux Mundi

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Samael.