Azrael is a black metal

Black metal

Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....

 band from Minnesota

Minnesota

Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...

, USA, formed by Lord Samaiza and Algol in 1999. In 2000, their first demo tape entitled "Virulent Darkness" was self-released by the band. In 2001, their second demo tape "Unto Death" was self-released. In early 2002 Azrael released an extremely limited rehearsal demo consisting of improvised ambient/noise experimentation simply entitled "Noise". In late 2002, "Obdurate" was released on Desastrious Records. In 2003, "Into Shadows Act 1: Denial" was released on Moribund Records

Moribund Records

Moribund Records is an extreme metal label based out of Port Orchard, Washington. Some common aliases are "Moribund Cult" or just "Moribund."-Artists:*Ayat*Azrael*Behexen*Catacombs*Hacavitz*Hæresiarchs of Dis*Horna*Judas Iscariot*Leviathan*Nazxul...

. "Into Shadows Act ll: Through Horned Shadows Glimpse" was released in 2004 on Moribund Records

Moribund Records

Moribund Records is an extreme metal label based out of Port Orchard, Washington. Some common aliases are "Moribund Cult" or just "Moribund."-Artists:*Ayat*Azrael*Behexen*Catacombs*Hacavitz*Hæresiarchs of Dis*Horna*Judas Iscariot*Leviathan*Nazxul...

. Azrael contributed an exclusive track entitled "Illumination" to the "Destroyers From the Western Skies compilation cd on Killzone records. In early 2007 Azrael released a double-cd entitled "Act III-Self....Act IV-Goat" on Moribund Records

Moribund Records

Moribund Records is an extreme metal label based out of Port Orchard, Washington. Some common aliases are "Moribund Cult" or just "Moribund."-Artists:*Ayat*Azrael*Behexen*Catacombs*Hacavitz*Hæresiarchs of Dis*Horna*Judas Iscariot*Leviathan*Nazxul...

. Azrael re-released
both the "Obdurate" and "Unto Death" demos as a single cd through Moribund records in August 2008.

Musical style

Azrael started out as a more traditional black metal band. The band themselves describe their first demo as "much more traditional and primitive than our later works...somewhat of a feeling out process for us." With each release they began to add more experimental and unique elements, the Unto Death demo "was a huge leap forward for us...we were beginning to add some abstract and ambient elements such as the 20 minute noise/ambient track at the end of the demo." With the release of Into Shadows Act II, the band was "beginning to experiment much more and creating very unique soundscapes and atmospheres." Azrael now describes their current sound as "experimental, atmospheric, dark/black metal."

Members

• Lord Samaiza: electric and acoustic guitar
  Guitar
  The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
  
  , vocals (1999–present)
• Algol: electric and upright bass, drums
  Drum kit
  A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
  
   (1999–present)

Past members

• Tharengraff: drums (2001–2003)
• Tanner Anderson (Unknown Goat): guitar (2004–05)

Discography

• Virulent Darkness (demo) 2000 self released.
• Unto Death (demo) 2001 self released.
• Noise Rehearsal (demo) 2002 self released
• Obdurate 2003, Desastrious Records.
• Into Shadows Act I: Denial 2003, Moribund Records.
• Into Shadows Act II:Through Horned Shadows Glimpse 2004, Moribund Records.
• "Illumination" on Destroyers From the Western Skies compilation CD 2005, Killzone Records.
• Act III:Self...Act IV:Goat double-cd 2007, Moribund Records.
• Obdurate/Unto Death compilation CD 2008, Moribund Records.