Samael are a long-running Swiss black/doom metal band formed in 1987.

Although much of their music from the mid-1990s onwards has incorporated electronic sounds which would best define their genre as industrial metal, they are also notable as an early black metal band and innovator for post-black metal styles.

Their first demos presented a slow, doomy style of thrash metal with raw vocals, similar to that of Celtic Frost. Some of the songs would be included on Worship Him (1990) and Blood Ritual (1992), which was assisted in distribution with the help of late guitarist Euronymous (Øystein Aarseth) of the Norwegian black metal band Mayhem.

Around the time of Ceremony of Opposites (1994), the band started using industrial-styled song techniques, employed by the use of keyboards and (minimalist) acoustic percussion. By this time, they had also left French record label Osmosis Records and signed with Century Media Records.

After the release of Eternal (1999), Samael would not renew their contract with Century Media. In 2004, Reign of Light was released through independent label Galactical Records.

Their 2006 album "Era One / Lesson In Magic #1" contains of 2 disks of electronic (Era One) and electro/ambient (Lesson In Magic #1) music. This year album is called Solar Soul and continues the way they started on Reign of Light but the music is heavier.