Above is the eighth studio album from the Swiss heavy metal band Samael, released on 6 March 2009 by Nuclear Blast. The band released a video for "Black Hole" in September 2009, directed by Sergeï Ulyanov.
Background In May 2008, Samael introduced the band "Above" to the public, consisting of members of Samael under different monikers and calling them the "first virtual metal band ever". According to the band, they were founded on 6 June 2006 as "the fruit of a collaboration between creative minds who wanted to focus on a common project" and described their music as "merciless over-the-top metal with an intensity rarely achieved." Their first song made available to the public on the Band's Myspace page was "Black Hole". In the same month, Above published the song "Polygames" on their Myspace page. In late November 2008, after the work on Above's album was completed, Samael announced that "Above" would be the title of their next record and not the name of the project anymore.
Vocalist Vorph commented on the central idea behind the album: "We feel now it is the right time to remember 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 'Above' we stripped everything down. It is a metal album through and through. [..] 'Above' is a little bit of a tribute to our early years as a band and to our first influences. [...] 'Above' is a good résumé of what pushed us to start playing music in the first place."
Track listing
Notes The track "Dark Side" is a reworked version of "The Black Face" from the album Worship Him.
Personnel Samael Vorphalack – guitar, vocals Makro – guitar Masmiseîm – bass Xytraguptor – drums, keyboard, programming, production
Technical personnel Kris Fredriksson – recording, engineering Fredrik Nordström – mixing Erik Broheden – mastering Patrick Pidoux – artwork, layout, design
Chart positions Chart (2009)Peakposition
References