Solar Soul

Samael

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 17, 2007)
• Original Release Date: June 4, 2007
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nuclear Blast Americ
• ASIN: B000QUUDCY
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #62,869 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Limited edition digipak pressing of the Swiss Metal band's 2007 album features bonus tracks. Samael are legends. Period. Three years after their last record Reign Of Light, the band from Switzerland is back with their new opus magnus. It is a dark, heavy, compact and a beautiful mind trip through empty lunar fields of desolation. No other band than Samael could write the soundtrack for a movie about a abandoned universe in all its coldness. Solar Soul features 11 perfectly produced tracks, all with enormous hit potential. Punching guitar riffs, pounding drums, impressive keyboard spheres, intelligent bass lines and above all conjuring yet aggressive vocals. Nuclear Blast. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars uplifting sonic onslaught that makes you listen again and again, May 8, 2008

By	Alex (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

damn you, Samael! a number of tracks are so catchy that i can't get them out of my head, and i just *have* to listen to them again and again! i know this is not typical for metal, but this is not exactly metal... sort of like Die Krupps meets Electric Hellfire Club with nods to KMFDM and Rammstein?

if i had to place it in a genre, i'd say Neue Deutsche Harte, the same general space as Rammstein and Tanzwut. thematically, it appears very influenced by singularity/extropian/transhumanist thinking, sort of Ray Kurzweil/Roger Penrose with a distinct magical/mystical bent. very positive energy, love the lyrics, a bit cheesy but still very very clever and definitely a breath of fresh air after the "satan is great, blah blah blah" of traditional black metal. "trust in providence, it will favour your undertakings", how's that ;)

favorites: Quasar Waves, no question the top track for me because of the original sound and *awesome* lyrics. also standout are Solar Soul, the title track, and Alliance.

now for the bad: it could be more musical, in particular we could do with some singing instead of chanting? and a few more laid back/instrumental passages to break up the sonic onslaught? a lot of songs are very similar, eg Ave=Olympus (but, on the other hand: they all *rock out* in a similar way, not sure if that's a bad thing?)

... and the really bad: as soon as I finish this review, I'm going to buy every single other Samael album on amazon... damn you Samael again.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Monumental album, July 24, 2007

By	Gordon Strachan "rivethead" (Dallas) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Samael have released a true masterpiece.For me,this is their best album since Eternal.It really reminds me alot of that album-it has the same vibe and flow.It also has the drive of their earlier material but with a much more mature performance.They've hit on truly one of the better lps to come out this year.I give it an A+!

5.0 out of 5 stars keeps getting better, July 3, 2007

By	A. Bryant - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Solar Soul (Audio CD)

This album is proof why Samael is among the best bands ever to exist. Solar Sol is the perfect follow up to Reign of Light, and fuses in enough elements of their older work (later 90s, not early works) with their currently evolving style.