Swiss black metal innovators SAMAEL have released a new single, "Hail To The Sun," signalling that the long-dormant band's creative reawakening is gathering pace. The track follows 2025's "Black Matter Manifesto," which marked SAMAEL's first new music in eight years, and points toward a full-length album — the long-awaited successor to 2017's 'Hegemony.'
Formed in 1987, SAMAEL helped pioneer the fusion of black metal with industrial and electronic textures, evolving from raw early works into the symphonic, mechanised grandeur that defined classics like 'Passage' and 'Eternal.' "Hail To The Sun" leans noticeably more on guitars than some of the band's recent output, but retains the unmistakable mid-paced majesty and cosmic atmosphere that have always set SAMAEL apart.
Lyrically, the song is a meditation on adversity and the importance of seizing the moment. "In troubled times, it is good to come together around something meaningful to us all," explained frontman Michael "Vorph" Locher. It is a characteristically defiant, life-affirming message from a band that has always paired darkness with a sense of transcendence.
Vocals for the forthcoming album are being produced by Daniel Bergstrand, the Swedish studio veteran known for his work with MESHUGGAH, BEHEMOTH and IN FLAMES, suggesting the new material will carry serious heft. While a firm release date has not been confirmed, the album is expected to land in late 2026 or 2027.
After nearly a decade of relative quiet, the steady drip of new music has reignited anticipation among fans who feared the Swiss veterans might never return to the studio in earnest. SAMAEL's current lineup features Michael "Vorph" Locher on guitars and vocals, his brother Alexandre "Xytras" Locher on drums and keyboards, Thomas "Drop" Betrisey on guitars, and Ales Campanelli on bass.
"Hail To The Sun" is available now on all streaming platforms.