Samael is a long-running Swiss black metal band formed in 1987 in Sion, Swi… Read Full Bio ↴Samael is a long-running Swiss black 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, Samael was originally founded as an early 2nd Wave black metal band.

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).

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.

1995 - The Rebellion ep was released to much acclaim

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.

1998 saw the release of the "Exodus ep"

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 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, which summed up and combined many of the styles of their previous albums since Passage.

April 2009 sees a new album from Samael, titled "Above. The album is a return to heavier territory for the band and has been labelled "Symphonic" blackmetal by some reviews in popular magazines.

In June 2010, Samael began recording demos for the next album. 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. The same month they shot a video clip for the song "Luxferre" in Sweden with director Patric Ulaeus.

On December 29, 2016, Samael announced new album will be released in 2017. The following of “Lux Mundi” (2011) has been recorded in Switzerland during spring 2016 and mix in Sweden during the summer. In January 2017, the band signed to Napalm Records to release the album.

Above as Below
Samael Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Low and high
Slow motion
We reason at the sound of a big band traveling
In time
Overwhelmed by all we've seen
Wealthy, healthy
Ready...
Above

As below
Surrounding a view
Above as below
The world is unreal...
Sweet
Violence
Rough tenderness
An ode to movement
Endless, uncontrolled

Caresses
Overwhelmed by all we've seen
Overwhelmed by all we've been

Wealthy, healthy
Ready...
Above as below
Surrounding a view
Above as

Below
The world is unreal...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Samael's song "Above as Below" appear to be a contemplation on the duality of existence - the contrasting ideas of low and high, violence and tenderness, above and below. The lyrics suggest that these opposites are interconnected, and that everything in the world is ultimately unreal. The line "We reason at the sound of a big band traveling in time" may suggest that humanity is constantly searching for meaning and reason in a universe that is ultimately indifferent to our existence.

The lyrics also contemplate the idea of being overwhelmed by all that we have seen and experienced, yet still remaining ready and wealthy. This may suggest a sense of resilience or a willingness to keep pushing forward despite the difficulties of life. Overall, the lyrics of "Above as Below" appear to be a philosophical meditation on the nature of existence itself, suggesting that life is ultimately a paradoxical and complex thing.

Line by Line Meaning

Low and high
We experience contrast and extremes

Slow motion
Time moves lethargically

We reason at the sound of a big band traveling
Our thoughts and actions synchronize with the rhythm of the world

In time
Everything changes over time

Overwhelmed by all we've seen
We are impacted by our experiences

Wealthy, healthy
We possess material and physical prosperity

Ready...
We are prepared for what comes next

Above
There is something transcendent

As below
There is something immanent

Surrounding a view
Our perception is influenced by our environment

Above as below
There is coherence between the spiritual and physical realms