Deep, dark industrial metal that takes no prisoners. For years, that is what Samael has delivered to great acclaim. That tradition continues on their latest release: Hegemony. Members Vorph and Xy were gracious enough to takes us all through the album track by track...
Track 1: Hegemony
V/X: A strong track, we knew early on that it would be the album's opener. The guitars parts are simple but merciless, the keyboards open some space on the first verse and are heavily layered on the chorus to give it the right emphasis.
Track 2: Samael
V/X: An up-tempo song, very tense on the verses, wide open in the chorus. While the overall song is very martial, the part following the chorus is reminiscent of Iron Maiden with its typical galloping rhythms and guitar harmonies.
Track 3: Angel Of Wrath
V/X: We've chosen this one as the first song to be presented. It is a typical S A M A E L song alternating heavy riffing and oriental melodies with super massive parts. Lyrics are a slight nod at the mythical origins of the name Samael.
Track 4: Rite Of Renewal
V/X: The most guitar driven song of the album, the whole song was based around the guitar while the keyboards mainly give the accents. Very dynamic track with fast double bass drums and ultra heavy ending part.
Track 5: Red Planet
V/X: Very melodic song built around the keyboards lines with heavy and heady riff. Probably the most prog song of this album with more parts that our average songs. That was our record label choice to represent the album.
Track 6: Black Supremacy
V/X: The fastest track on the record, very aggressive riffing with dissonant chords counter balanced by an open and melodic chorus. Industrial mixed with power metal. Lyrics are based around the color black which has been our color of choice since day one.
Track 7: Murder Of Suicide
V/X: Mainly based around the bass line this is a more groovy track. Piano is present throughout the song with a long part that builds up a momentum ending on the last chorus.
Track 8: This World
V/X: Jerky guitars and square rhythm, the vocals are the guiding line of the song until the guitars take the lead in the chorus. Punk rock riffing in the chorus, quite unusual in a S A M A E L song.
Track 9: Against All Enemies
V/X: Slowest song on the album, a bit moody and darker than the other tunes. It starts very calm with only half distorted guitar and slowly builds up to a massive wall of guitar and keyboards in the chorus.
Track 10: Land Of The Living
V/X: Another high energy up-tempo track. Tense rhythm breaking only on the pre-chorus and chorus. Lyrics deal with the circles of life. Not too far from the song Rite Of Renewal as far as the lyrics are concerned.
Track 11: Dictate Of Transparency
V/X: Intense and very dense. Relentless drums, open chords with aggressive riffing. We've spent time on the chorus, we took out some of the vocals at some point but we went back to the original idea. It is a monolithic tune and that's the way it should be.
Track 12: Helter Skelter
V/X: The Beatles were the prime influence of most of the bands that influenced us. We have a direct connection to that particular song. We see it as the prototype of all the music we love: metal, industrial, punk... It was the seed that started all. We've kept the original structure as it was but we've tried to make it sound like a S A M A E L song.