Interview with Blood of Angels

What got you into music, and if you had not gotten into music what would you be doing today?

• I fell in love with music early in my life.  My grandfather was a jazz pianist.  I would listen to him practice as early as I can remember.  My father is a rock and metal fan.  He showed me Black Sabbath, Blue Oyster Cult, and Led Zeppelin.  The album that made want to play guitar is the Ozzy Osbourne “Randy Rhodes Tribute” album.  Hearing Randy play made me want to play guitar in that way.

•  If it wasn’t for music, I would probably be a history professor.  

What do you like to do when you are not playing music and how does that influence your creativity?

• I love to travel and get out into nature.  I am an avid hiker, and cultural tourist.  I find influence and inspiration in many forms of visual art.

How long has your band been around?

• We have been together for 8 years.

Where are you based out of and how did that influence your music?

• We are based in Tampa, Florida USA.  It is the city where death metal was founded.  We have many great death metal bands that have inspired us such as Cannibal Corpse, Deicide, and Obituary.  Seeing their success has inspired us to reach for our own success.  

How did you come up with the name of your band and what does it mean to you?

• Our first full-length album is titled “Failure of Faith.”  Which tackles the subject of organized religion, and how organized religion has manipulated the masses into mythological beliefs in order to commit horrific acts in order to maintain the organizations power.  It doesn’t matter if it is Christianity, Islam, Judaism, or Hinduism.  The results are the same.  So, the name comes as a metaphor for spilling the Blood of Angels for ending organized religion.  It is also just a good name for a metal band.

Tell me about your most memorable shows.

•  The recent memorable show is the Toledo Death Fest in 2021.  We got play outdoors in Toledo, OH in August.  It was a really hot day.  We went on stage at 3:30pm and as soon we got going with our opening song “Monotheism” the crowd erupted.  It didn’t matter how hot it was.  They were with for the whole ride.  The love we got from the crowd is a feeling I will never forget.

What is your favorite venue to play at, and do you have any places you want to play that you have not already?

•  I got a couple of favorite venues.  I love The Brass Mug in Tampa, FL, also the Main Street Bar and Grill in Toledo, OH.  The Haven in Orlando, FL is awesome. We really want to do more festivals going forward anywhere in the world.  Wacken Festival, Hellfest, and Download would be awesome.  I would love to do the Sound of Thunder Fest in Colombia.  I played there once with my former band.  I would love to bring Blood of Angels there.

If you could play any show with any lineup, who would be on the ticket?

• We would play with anyone in the metal genre.  My dream lineup would be.

  Iron Maiden, Lamb of God, Cradle of Filth, and Dark Tranquility.  With us opening the show.

 What is some advice that you would give to someone who is just getting into playing in a band and some advice that you would give to your younger self?

• This advice wasn’t an issue when I was younger.  It is the way of the business now. The best advice is to save as much money as you can.

  Good music will only get you through the door.  To secure spots on good tours and festivals you have to buy-on.  You will have to spend anywhere from 1,500.00 to 10,000.00 for a great opportunity.

Of your songs which one means the most to you and why?

• Hard question, I would say “Blood of the Lamb.”  I just love playing at that speed, and the pits open up every time we play it.

Which songs are your favorite to play and which get requested the most?

• “Monotheism” gets requested a lot.  We have had a lot of support for this song.  Our cover of “Sabbath Bloody Sabbath” is a fan favorite.  My favorites to play are “Blood of the Lamb”, “Disaster of Supremacy”, and our new single “Spillage.”

What is the creative process for the band, and what inspires you to write your music?

• I usually come up with the song on musical side.  Then Jonathan (drummer) and Maggot (bass) bring their own ideas into the song.  I wrote the lyrics up to this point.  Randy (vocalist) will be doing most of the lyric writing for the new album.

What kinds of messages do you like to get across in your music?

• We aren’t a single-issue band.  Our first EP was a three-part story based on Norwegian mythology.  Our last album was based on the atrocities committed by the three major monotheistic faiths.  Our new single is about remorse with loss.  It just depends on the song.

Do you ever have disagreements in your band, and how do you get past them?

• Not so much.  We are organized very well. Everyone knows their role.  We discuss everything openly and everyone gets their say.

What are your plans for the future, and do you have anything that you want to spotlight that is coming up?

•  Currently we will be releasing and new single titled “Spillage” on Halloween Day.  Next year we will be writing and recording a new album to be released through out label Biohazardous Records.  Afterwards we look forward to playing as many festivals as possible throughout the world.