SAMAEL — Above (review)

SAMAEL — Above album cover Album · 2009 · Black Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
Warthur
If completely changing your band's sound - like Samael did when they went from being pioneers of the 1990s black metal boom to a slick, occult-tinged industrial metal outfit - is a brave, risky move, then reversing that shift is an even riskier proposal. This is what Samael attempt on Above, a sudden and surprising gear change back to black metal (with occasional bits of more traditional metal and industrial influences here and there to add a little spice). It certainly succeeds at temporarily refreshing their sound, though it feels rather bland and generic compared to the startlingly original doomy black metal of their early albums; the use of programmed drums in particular has aged poorly.
Share this review
more

Review Comments

Post a public comment below | Send private message to the reviewer
Please login to post a shout
No shouts posted yet. Be the first member to do so above!

Review Index

Member Zone

Username:
Password:
Stay signed in

Metal Subgenres

Artists Alpha-index

MMA TOP 5 Metal ALBUMS

Rating by members, ranked by custom algorithm
Albums with 30 ratings and more
Master of Puppets Thrash Metal
METALLICA
Buy this album from our partners
Paranoid Heavy Metal
BLACK SABBATH
Buy this album from our partners
Moving Pictures Hard Rock
RUSH
Buy this album from our partners
Powerslave NWoBHM
IRON MAIDEN
Buy this album from our partners
Rising Heavy Metal
RAINBOW
Buy this album from our partners

New Metal Artists

New Metal Releases

The Skorian // The Greyleer Black Metal
MEFITIS
Buy this album from MMA partners
Memoria viva Progressive Metal
WHITE STONES
Buy this album from MMA partners
Dreaming the Strife for Love Progressive Metal
BEDSORE
Buy this album from MMA partners
Recontinue Progressive Metal
ALARUM
Buy this album from MMA partners
The Skies Above Eternity Power Metal
FELLOWSHIP
Buy this album from MMA partners
More new releases

New Metal Online Videos

DAWN OF REVENGE - Sanctuary [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 3 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Farewell [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 3 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Curtain of Death - [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 3 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - Vengeance [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 3 days ago
DAWN OF REVENGE - I Need You [official music video]
DAWN OF REVENGE
Bosh66· 3 days ago
More videos

New MMA Metal Forum Topics

More in the forums

New Site interactions

More...

Latest Metal News

members-submitted

More in the forums

Social Media

Follow us
Follow us on Twitter Become a Facebook fan RSS Feed