# Michael Locher

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{{short description|Swiss musician (born 1969)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name                = Michael Locher
| image               = Samael Fall of Summer 02 09 2016 05.jpg
| image_size          = 
| caption             = Vorph at the Fall of Summer Festival 2016
| alias               = Vorphalack, Vorph
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1969|01|07}}
| birth_place         = [Sion](/source/Sion%2C_Switzerland), Switzerland
| genre               = [Industrial metal](/source/Industrial_metal), [black metal](/source/black_metal)
| occupation          = Musician
| instrument          = Guitar, vocals
| years_active        = 1987–present
| website             = 
| label               = [Osmose](/source/Osmose_Productions), [Century Media](/source/Century_Media), [Nuclear Blast](/source/Nuclear_Blast), Galactical
}}

'''Michael Locher''' (born 7 January 1969), also known as '''Vorphalack''' or simply '''Vorph''', is a Swiss musician who provides vocals and is a guitarist for the [industrial](/source/industrial_metal)/[black metal](/source/black_metal) band [Samael](/source/Samael_(band)).

== Biography ==
Locher was born in [Sion](/source/Sion%2C_Switzerland). He co-founded Samael in 1987 with his brother Alexandre (also known as "Xytras" or "Xy") on drums.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.samael.info/solar_soul/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=46 |title=SAMAEL Official Website ++ - Offline |publisher=Samael.info |accessdate=29 July 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120220070630/http://www.samael.info/solar_soul/index.php?option=com_wrapper&Itemid=46 |archivedate=20 February 2012}}</ref> Locher's musical influences include [Celtic Frost](/source/Celtic_Frost), [Slayer](/source/Slayer), [Iron Maiden](/source/Iron_Maiden), [Motörhead](/source/Mot%C3%B6rhead), [Venom](/source/Venom_(band)), [Bathory](/source/Bathory_(band)) and early [Possessed](/source/Possessed_(band)).<ref>Morgan, Anthony (21 February 2009). [http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/samael-frontman-we-wanted-to-do-a-more-stripped-down-metal-album/ "SAMAEL Frontman: 'We Wanted To Do A More Stripped Down Metal Album'"]. ''[Blabbermouth.net](/source/Blabbermouth.net)'', Retrieved on 5 August 2009</ref> He particularly points to Bathory as a source of inspiration for vocals:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/samael-frontman-for-almost-the-last-two-years-now-i-ve-just-listened-to-classical-music/|title=SAMAEL Frontman: 'For Almost The Last Two Years Now, I've Just Listened To Classical Music'|date=13 July 2007|accessdate=13 July 2019|work=[Blabbermouth.net](/source/Blabbermouth.net)}}</ref>

{{blockquote|[Quorthon](/source/Quorthon) from Bathory for the vocals I think was a big influence. To me, at that time, he was probably the guy who pushed the boundaries the furthest in terms of that style of music.|Michael Locher a.k.a. ''Vorph''}}

His guitar is a customized [ESP Viper](/source/ESP_Viper) with [Ernie Ball](/source/Ernie_Ball) [guitar string](/source/guitar_string)s, Boss GT pro, [Mesa Boogie](/source/Mesa_Boogie) Dual Rectifier.<ref>[http://www.samael.info/Above/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=32&Itemid=1 Official Website Vorph's Page]</ref> During Samael's black metal period, Vorph (then called Vorphalack) played a [Jackson King V](/source/Jackson_King_V) guitar too. During the [Passage](/source/Passage_(Samael_album)) era Vorph played a black [Jackson Kelly](/source/Jackson_Kelly_(guitar)).

Vorph stated in an interview with Dutch webzine ''Lords of Metal'' that he does not eat junk food and that he is a vegetarian.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/en/interviews/view/id/3777|title=Samael |accessdate=21 May 2016|date=April 2011|publisher=Lords of Metal|author=Ramon}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
{{commons category}}
{{Samael}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Locher, Michael}}
Category:Swiss heavy metal musicians
Category:Living people
Category:1969 births
Category:People from Sion, Switzerland

{{switzerland-musician-stub}}

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Michael Locher](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Locher) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Locher?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.