Archangel is the tenth studio album by American heavy metal band Soulfly.[5][6] It was released on August 14, 2015, through Nuclear Blast.[7] It is the band's shortest album to date, running thirty-six and a half minutes. It is the band's last album to feature bassist Tony Campos, who left the band shortly after recording to join Fear Factory.[8] With a peak position of number 130 on the Billboard 200, it is Soulfly's second-lowest charting album to date (behind 2005's Dark Ages, which peaked at number 155). The statistic is common with the decreasing number of album sales worldwide in all genres of music, as digital releases have taken over the market. The ensuing "We Sold Our Souls to Metal" Tour to promote Archangel's release featured Soulfly playing as many as seven songs from the album live each night, which is the first time since the "Primitive" Tour that the band has played the majority of a new album live.
Andrew "Schizodeluxe" Massie of The Rockpit reviewed that the album is "a somewhat diverse record with the death metal inspired tracks, the groove mid-tempo stuff and the thrashier songs mixed in there. Archangel is both streamlined and very aggressive".[10] Riley Rowe of Metal Injection wrote that "Archangel, an apt title to indicate Soulfly's spreading of wings towards a more mature style, is the grand and fitting next step in their mystical, musical journey".[3] Ray Van Horn Jr. of Blabbermouth reviewed that "Archangel is the most daring and freshest Soulfly album since Prophecy, but there's something slightly remiss and somewhat disjointed in this leaner yet embroidered shift toward yet another new order in this band".[2] Elpida Baphomet of Metal Invader reviewed that "Archangel is characterized by its sophisticated oriental compositions, powerful grooves, multifaceted choirs and religious orientations. All of the instruments and voices stand out in the best possible way".[11] Steve of Metal Blast! reviewed that the album starts out with a bang showcasing expert performances and then the entertainment fizzles out in the album's second half.[12]
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