| Angelrage is a controversial band with a storied past. Whether or not their music is Christian Metal is a topic for discussion. Many religious groups have condemned them for their music and have tried to put an end to it. Like all heavy metal bands, they have endured through all the criticism and have gained fans from the added exposure. Angelrage is best known for their song, Fight the Devil. They have updated that song as well as the rest of the songs recorded in 1995. They are currently working on all new material for their new album entitled, Angelrage. When Raphael contacted me about the link I have to Angelrage.com, I recognized the name right away, for I had a very strange experience with it. While making the list for The War, I visited both Christian and Black Metal link lists. Angelrage was listed on both types of sites and I had them listed on both sides of my page! Strange how things happen...anyway, I was thrilled when Raphael agreed to let me interview the band, so I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I enjoyed asking the questions! | ||
Fight the Devil 2002 Limited Edition MP3.com CD Out of Print and sold out! |
 |
|
Uriel-Bass..........Michael-Vocals...........Raphael-Guitar..........Gabriel-Drums |
||
METALJET: How is your new album coming along and what is your target for release to the public? RAPHAEL: First of all thanks to Rick and MetalJet! We are still writing and have cut basic tracks for several of the songs. METALJET: METAL in my Christmas stocking! Sweet!! Michael, former lead vocalist Azrael, had an extreme style of vocals, will your classical background mean a return to the Power/Progressive Metal style from 1995? MICHAEL: Vocally there will be more of a progressive metal feel because I'm that style of singer. Angelrage has always been about good strong melodies and hooky choruses. We are rewriting some of our music to have more of a modern flavor while staying true to the Angelrage style. METALJET: Right on, with your classical vocal training, how did you become a singer for a Heavy Metal band? MICHAEL: I grew up loving bands that had awesome singers, like Tony Harnell (TNT), Michael Sweet (Stryper) and Steve Perry (Journey). The only way to develop my range like theirs was to take lessons. My classical training has helped expand my range and vocal power. I never stopped loving my metal roots, in fact, in college I was a vocal performance major and my professors would always say that I had a pop/rock voice instead of a classical one. I guess I was singing what came natural to me. METALJET: I also enjoy bands with strong singers, my favorite classically influenced singer is Timo Kotipelto who sang for the Finnish Power Metal band, Stratovarius. Have you heard their music? If so, how would you say your style is similar or different from his? MICHAEL: I love Stratovarius, they are such an awesome band! The difference between the two of us would probably be that my vocal lines won't be up in the stratosphere all the time like his are but trust me they will still be up there. I would like to hear what you think after you hear our new CD single of Fight the Devil. METALJET: That sounds like an invitation to do a review, I'll do that! Raphael, what do you think about Michael's singing and who are your other favorites? RAPHAEL: Michael has a very distinctive voice, and a lot of power. He got in this band by singing an Italian Aria! My favorite singers are Fabio Lione of Rhapsody, Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden, and James LaBrie from Dream Theater. That is the kind of voice I was looking for. METALJET: Cool, always good when a plan comes together! You know, I enjoy lyrics that have cryptic meanings and touch on subjects in a subtle way. How are your lyrics going to be on the new album? RAPHAEL: Well, Rick, they are going to have cryptic meanings and touch on subjects in a subtle way! That is what we do, challenge people and make them think. And that's an excellent way to put it. METALJET: Speaking of maiming, that's usually how people describe my guitar playing...anyway, Raphael, what are your main influences for your guitar style? RAPHAEL: Keeping in mind our ancient nature, of course my influences extend well beyond the boundaries of time and space...in this dimension, I am inspired by players like Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Tony Iommi, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai, and John Petrucci. What I appreciate in a player is the ability to play fast, but even more, the wisdom to know when to use it. I like players who can make their instrument scream and emote. Vai is incredible. I like solos that fit the song, not just an excuse to machine-gun chromatic nonsense. Not that I have anything against chromatic nonsense, but if I have to choose between the 32nd note barrage of notes or the wild-animal scream that gives you a chill, I will go for the emotion every time. If I use speed it's usually for effect. I am also influenced by Bach, Beethoven, and DeBussy among others. METALJET: What do you think about the perception that most guitar riffs have been used and most guitarists rely on subtle or not so subtle copying of other riffs? RAPHAEL: I think everyone shows their influences. That is how music evolves, fans trying to take it to the next level or add their own thing. I think that's healthy. What is not healthy is the way record companies and the media force a scene. Someone gets a hit song and suddenly there are a bunch of cheap knock-offs running around trying to cash in on it and everyone gets sick of the whole thing, because the media runs it into the ground. They squeeze every last dollar out of it, declare it dead, step over all the broken dreams, and start looking for the next thing to shove down your throat. We spit it back in their face and did the unthinkable: we started out by giving the fans our biggest hit for free! In an industry driven by greed, that was an act of war. |
||
METALJET: Do you ever tune down your guitar or do you stick with the standard "E" tuning? RAPHAEL: For this album I am tuned to drop-C (C-G-C-F-A-D), which is a nice, sludgy tuning. The original Fight the Devil material was standard tuning at E flat. I have 2 BC Rich Beasts that I use exclusively with Angelrage. METALJET: Wow, Uriel, I've got the matching guitar to your bass! Sweet! You know, in a lot of Metal bands, the bass tracks sometimes get lost in the sound. How will your bass tracks be used on the new album? URIEL: It's all about the thunder, baby! METALJET: Powerful! By the way, Gabriel have you been able to record any drum tracks for the new album? It was a bit disturbing reading an article on Angelrage.com about possibly needing to find someone to record the drum tracks. GABRIEL: How would they replace me? Who's trumpet leads the charge? Who is that again? METALJET: (laughing) Europe is a hotbed for all types of metal, Power Metal being one of the most popular styles. What type of reception do you get from the European fans? RAPHAEL: Europe loves us and we love them! We have a lot of fans there and some offers of distribution. Actually I am very much influenced by European Metal, the "Gothenburg sound", you know, Swedish Metal; also bands like Therion, In Flames, Rammstein, Theatre of Tragedy, and Rhapsody. So it doesn't surprise me that we are well-received there...music is after all a universal language. METALJET: Raphael, you were in an accident in 1997, how badly were you hurt and what was your mindset about being told you would not be able to play anymore? RAPHAEL: We were travelling at 55 mph and the person who hit us was going 65, so imagine hitting a brick wall at 120 mph. I wasn't driving so I didn't even see it coming. I broke my collarbone, sternum, and several ribs front and back, tore up my right shoulder and my abdominal muscles. My left side was all messed up, my fingers weren't responding as a result of brain trauma. And I was a professional musician and guitar instructor. After months of physical therapy they were telling me I just had to accept it, that I would never perform again. I wouldn't accept it. It took a long time, but I kept practicing my guitar, and then I started swimming and working out. I feel pretty good now. I eat a nearly vegan diet, no dairy, and try to drink about a gallon of water a day. It gets better all the time. I feel like I am living a second life now. In the end it took me 6 years to get that song out to the world, and some think it almost cost me my life, but today Fight the Devil is on the hard drives and CD players and lips of thousands of people around the world. It's rewarding to me beyond words.
|
||
RAPHAEL: Oh boy! Ok, Rick, shoot away. METALJET: When looking at your logo, it can appear two different ways. I can see angel wings or devil horns, just depends how you look at it. At the same time, you have a pentagram with a "NO" symbol across it and a pentagram with a devil inside of it. It's confusing! Explain a little about your logo's concept and who designed it. RAPHAEL: I started out with a simple Old English calligraphy font, and then I tried to elongate some of the letters into wings. Some people say it's a demon face. I don' t see it, but hey, whatever. Some people see a crown of thorns. Maybe. It's like an ink blot test: what do you WANT to see? The logo will change on each album, by the way. METALJET: So, you designed it yourself! That's cool. What are your thoughts about the church group in Michigan who protested the playing of your songs on the radio? URIEL: God bless them. They got even more people checking us out to see what all the fuss was about. METALJET: Gabriel cracked me up! Religion has always had a hard time accepting the Heavy Metal genre as a way to get a message out. Why do you think that is? RAPHAEL: They do well to be cautious with all entertainment. I say question everything! The tree is known by it's fruit, so our fans will be our witnesses. METALJET: On your website, the reference page, you list Christianity/Angeology sites and Occult/Demonology sites together. Much like I list Christian/White Metal and Black Metal bands on my "thewar" genre's page. Do you believe that education of all things good and evil is the best way to get your message across? RAPHAEL: Angelrage says, "Know thine enemy!" Ignorance is dangerous, especially in these times. Those links are for those who want to understand our lyrical content a little better. Remember that Lucifer and his minions were once, and still are, angels! Because of the concept of Angelrage it is important to offer as much information about angels as we can. We also promote literacy and scholarship by using old English, Greek and Latin, encouraging people to learn more about these things. We like to challenge our fans. And on our website, there are lots of hidden links that give them more information about who we are and what we are all about if they really want to know. METALJET: I have actually found some of those hidden pages and they are good reads! We are all generation Xers and grew up while Heavy Metal came into existance and most metalheads are generation xer's. Groups like Stryper and Barren Cross developed at the same time. What are your thoughts on Christian Metal and it's success with the generation xer's? RAPHAEL: Well, I think it started out with good intentions, people who wanted to try to use rock music to evangellize. I do think you have to use discernment, and theologically I take issue with some of those bands, but that being said I love Stryper, Sacred Warrior, Guardian, and Petra. But we have never said Angelrage is a Christian Metal band! A soundtrack for the tribulation, maybe. We don't belong in any category. Angelrage is bigger than that. Our words and music are for all people, not just Christians. Sorry, world, you will have to invent a new category for Angelrage...I would call it "Baspel". The word gospel comes from the Old English "God Spell" meaning good news. We feel there are enough bands out there preaching the "good news." We have the "bad news" - that the return of Christ with his angels will be a day of terror beyond imagining for those who reject him. We are here for the ones who won't listen to the good news. Fear of The LORD is the beginning of wisdom, kiddies...the day of wrath draws near. Sleep tight! METALJET: Speaking of Stryper, They were the first Christian Metal band to use a dark theme on an album cover. To Hell with the Devil seems tame compared to album covers used today. Why do you use dark themes on your album artwork? RAPHAEL: I loved that album cover! I think the concept of Angelrage is very dark and very scary...and it's just beginning. We are working with a well-known makeup effects artist to help us develop our new look and stageshow, and I guarantee it will be the spectacle of a lifetime. |
||
RAPHAEL: Well, Rick, Angelrage is about to unleash upon the world a sound and a show unlike anything ever seen before! It's going to be intense. I can't wait for you to experience it and hope to see you out on the road! METALJET: OH YEAH! Just let me know when you'll be in the Seattle area and I'll be there! So, anything you'd like to add? RAPHAEL: Yes. Be afraid. Be very afraid. |
||
| Well, if that didn't wet your appetite, get your metalness checked out by a doctor ASAP!!! Thank you to Angelrage, I wish you all the best and much better luck this time around. | ||
| The Bnr Metal Pages | The Metal Gospel | Metal Index | The PRP |
| Digital Metal | Shout Web | Guitars Rule | Prog Power USA |
| Digital Metal | Shout Web | Guitars Rule | Prog Power USA |
METALJET: There is an extreme lack of guitar solos in today's mainstream metal, what do you think is the reason for this trend? 
METALJET: Wow, that is truly amazing! Ok, everyone wants to know, so on to the controversial topics, sorry. 
METALJET: I can't wait to hear your new album and give it a review on MetalJet. I am a traditionalist when it comes to Heavy Metal, so how do you think I'll like it?