Archangel
Soulfly · 2015
45 min · 23 tracks · thrash metal
Ferocious grooves intertwine with tribal rhythms and haunting melodies, delivering a relentless metal experience steeped in mythology.
Top tracks — play these first
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Archangel — The title track encapsulates the album's blend of aggressive instrumentation and spiritual themes, setting the tone for the entire project.
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We Sold Our Souls to Metal — This opening track serves as an anthem for metal fans, featuring a driving rhythm that highlights the band's signature sound and dedication to the genre.
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Ishtar Rising — Merging ancient mythology with modern aggression, this track showcases intricate guitar work while exploring themes of power and rebirth.
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Live Life Hard! — With its energetic tempo and motivational lyrics, this song stands out as a rallying cry for resilience and living authentically, reflecting Cavalera's personal philosophy.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
The album showcases strong compositions and production but lacks cohesion due to its length and varied pacing.
What we noticed
- The album opens with a high-energy track that sets a relentless pace, maintaining aggressive tempos throughout the first half.
- The last three tracks slow down significantly, introducing more melodic elements and tribal influences, creating a contrast to the earlier aggression.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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5/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- dynamic journey with energetic peaks
- fierce intensity for cathartic release
- short bursts of relentless power
- headbanging anthems for group energy
- dark themes for reflective moods
Maybe skip if you
- prefer calm, soothing sounds
- seek standalone radio hits
Where this album fits
- In the catalog
- Deep Cut — Solid entry in the catalog that showcases evolution but isn't a primary highlight.
- Career context
- Released on August 14, 2015, Archangel is Soulfly's tenth studio album, coming after the band's 2013 release, Savages. At this point in their career, Soulfly had solidified their sound while exploring more complex themes, particularly through frontman Max Cavalera's varied influences from his roots in Sepultura.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Sepultura· Machine Head· Fear Factory
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
Disc 1
- 1 We Sold Our Souls to Metal 3:00
- 2 Archangel 4:47
- 3 Sodomites 3:55
- 4 Ishtar Rising 2:45
- 5 Live Life Hard! 3:56
- 6 Shamash 3:48
- 7 Bethlehem's Blood 4:18
- 8 Titans 4:44
- 9 Deceiver 2:44
- 10 Mother of Dragons 2:41
- 11 You Suffer 0:10
- 12 Acosador nocturno 2:45
- 13 Soulfly X 5:42
Disc 2
- 1 Cannibal Holocaust
- 2 Refuse/Resist (Sepultura Cover)
- 3 Bloodshed
- 4 Back to the Primitive
- 5 Seek 'n' Strike
- 6 Tribe
- 7 Rise of the Fallen
- 8 Revengeance
- 9 Roots Bloody Roots (Sepultura Cover)
- 10 Jumpdafuckup/Eye for an Eye
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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