The world has taken a battering over the last few years, but ANGELUS APATRIDA is leading the fightback.
Spain’s greatest ever exponents of forward-thinking thrash metal began their campaign at the turn of the century and have been a consistent force for heavy music ever since. From their ferocious 2006 debut album 'Evil Unleashed' and 2010’s widely acclaimed 'Clockwork' (the band’s first for Century Media), to more recent triumphs like 2018’s 'Cabaret de la Guillotine,' ANGELUS APATRIDA has become increasingly unstoppable. In 2023, they will release 'Aftermath,' a vicious and vital response to the chaos we see all around us.
With touring plans for 2020 cancelled, ANGELUS APATRIDA simply switched focus to the creative process. The result was 'Angelus Apatrida,' a self-titled record that sought to redefine its creators’ era-blending sound, with renewed intensity and uproarious lyrical sensibilities that dug deep into the realities of the modern world. Climbing to the top of the official album charts in Spain at # 1 as well as marking the band’s first ever chart entries in Germany at # 49 and Switzerland at # 41 upon release in 2021, the album showcased a band at the peak of their powers. Understandably, ANGELUS APATRIDA were absolutely itching to get back on the road, which they eventually did with a vengeance.
“We started doing some shows trying to keep things going until the summer of 2021, and then at the end of the year we were able to do some important venues and festivals,” recalls guitarist/vocalist Guillermo Izquierdo. “We spent 2022 and 2023 touring, mostly in Europe and North America. We’ve played Hellfest, Graspop, Dynamo, Resurrection Fest, Rock Fest and Leyendas del Rock, and we did our first headlining tour in the U.S. and Canada. In February 2023 we did the last four dates of the tour in Spain with four total sell outs!”
Clearly one of the hardest-working bands in metal, ANGELUS APATRIDA were not content with simply returning to the live arena. Even as they toured, work on their next album began. Pre-production for 'Aftermath' was finished in March 2023, and the band swiftly hit the studio in their hometown of Albacete, once again collaborating with trusted live and studio engineer Juanan López on the capturing of these new metal explosions. The finished tracks were then sent to the legendary Zeuss (Rob Zombie/Overkill/Hatebreed) at Planet-Z in Wilbraham, Massachusetts and polished to a devastating sheen. The results speak for themselves: 'Aftermath' is titanium-plated modern thrash of the highest order.
“Every time we sit down and write new music, we try to do the best we can and to put all the new things and experiences we had over the last few years into the mix,” says Guillermo. “The new songs are pure ANGELUS APATRIDA. They’ve got every single essence of the band. There are many songs containing more personal feelings than on previous records. We’re going deep into our souls and feelings sometimes. Since we are living strange, difficult and dark times, we liked the concept of an aftermath. After everything that has happened since 2020 and is still happening in the world, in our society, and in our lives, a lot of strong feelings have come through in the music and lyrics.”
'Aftermath' is undoubtedly the most heartfelt and powerful record in ANGELUS APATRIDA’s illustrious history, but it’s also one of the heaviest and most direct. From the neck-wrecking adrenaline rush of opener "Scavenger" to the dark might of the closing "Vultures And Butterflies," the Spanish quartet’s eighth studio record displays the songwriting muscle and playing prowess of bands like Metallica, Testament and Pantera, while still delivering a huge, jolting dose of ANGELUS APATRIDA’s distinctive trademark attack.
“We can describe 'Aftermath' as what metal means to us,” Guillermo says. “It contains the best songs we've ever written. It is just very difficult to pick just one or two highlights on this album since every single track could be a single itself.”
Confirming their sturdy reputation in the global metal scene, ANGELUS APATRIDA invited some heavyweight figures to add their talents to 'Aftermath.' Hatebreed’s iconic frontman Jamey Jasta lends his caustic bark to "Snob," while Queensrÿche vocalist Todd La Torre lends his spectacular tones to "Vultures And Butterflies." Elsewhere, Pablo Garcia, guitarist with Spanish power metal legends Warcry, displays his virtuosity on the incendiary "Fire Eyes," and Spanish rap star Sho-Hai brings the noise on the brooding "What Kills Us All. "
With no need to regain momentum, ANGELUS APATRIDA is more ready than most to let rip again in 2023. 'Aftermath' marks a pinnacle in this band’s determined and always fruitful career. It’s a defiant, uplifting and resolutely metal-as-fuck response to an era defined by chaos and fear. It’s the sound of ANGELUS APATRIDA, doing what they do, but bigger, better, louder and with more passion than ever.
“As soon as the album is released, we are starting a huge live campaign,” adds Guillermo. “We start with a big European tour that will cover most of the mainland and the U.K., and we are already working on getting back to Oceania and Asia, Latin America and making our return to the United States and Canada during the first half of 2024. Expect a great live festival season for summer 2024 and more tours! We’re coming!”
Line-up:
Guillermo Izquierdo – Vocals, Lead/Rhythm Guitars
David G. Álvarez – Lead, Rhythm Guitars
José J. Izquierdo – Bass Guitar
Víctor Valera – Drums
Special Guests:
Jamey Jasta (Hatebreed) - vocals, "Snob "
Pablo García (Warcry) - guitars, "Fire Eyes"
Todd La Torre (Queensrÿche) - vocals, "Vultures and Butterflies"
Sho-Hai - vocals, "What Kills Us All"
Produced by Angelus Apatrida.
Recordings handled by Juanan López at Baboon Records in Albacete, Spain
Mixing and mastering by Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Overkill, Hatebreed, Municipal Waste, Shadows Fall) at Planet-Z in Wilbraham, MA, USA.)
Album Artwork: Gyula Havancsák (Annihilator, Destruction,
Stratovarius)
Photo Credit: Javier Bragado
Discography:
Evil Unleashed – CD 2006
Give ‘Em War – CD 2007
Clockwork – CD/LP 2010
The Call – CD/LP 2012
Evil Unleashed / Give 'Em War – 2CD 2013
Hidden Evolution – CD/LP 2015
Cabaret de la Guillotine – CD/LP 2018
Angelus Apatrida – CD/LP 2021
Aftermath – CD/LP 2023
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