Armoured Angel

Armoured Angel was a thrash/death metal band from Canberra, Australia. The band pushed the musical boundaries of the local thrash metal scene[1] and were one of the earliest bands to play what later came to be known as death metal.[2][3] The group were also responsible for the foundation of Australia's biggest metal festival, Metal for the Brain.

Armoured Angel
OriginCanberra, Australia
GenresThrash metal
Death metal
Years active1982–1996, 1998–1999
LabelsId/Polygram, Warhead
Associated actsPsychrist, Kill for Satan
Past membersLucy
Joel Green
Matt Green
Yuri Ward
Steve Luff
Rick Wayy
Dave Davis
Tony Sheaffe
Rowan Powell
Russell Ruszinski

History

Armoured Angel was formed in 1982 as Metal Asylum by Lucy[4][5] (bass) and Rowan Powell (guitars).[6] The band was renamed Armoured Angel in 1984, with drummer Dave Davis and vocalist Rick Wayy completing the lineup. After recording a demo in 1985 titled Baptism in Blood, Powell and Wayy were replaced by Tony Sheaffe and Russell Ruszinski, respectively.

Armoured Angel underwent another line-up change in 1986, reforming as a trio with Lucy and brothers Joel Green (drums, vocals) and Matt Green (guitar). With this line-up, the band recorded a second demo titled Wings of Death in Easter 1989 which garnered a strong cult fanbase. A third demo titled Communion was released in 1990. An east coast tour of Australia followed, plus a re-release of Wings of Death on English record label CCG in 1991.[7] In 1991, Joel Green organised the Metal for the Brain festival as a benefit concert for his close friend Alec Hurley, who had been savagely beaten in an assault in 1990 and left severely brain-damaged and permanently disabled. The group continued to organise the annual festival until 1996.

Armoured Angel released their first EP, Stigmartyr in 1992 through Id records, a development arm of Polygram. The band supported Morbid Angel on their Australian tour that same year.[6] Australian heavy metal magazine Hot Metal awarded a five out of five review for the EP.[8] In January 1993, the band appeared at the Big Day Out festival in Sydney and supported Carcass and Bolt Thrower on their respective Australian tours. The band's second EP Mysterium was released in 1994, and a short tour of the UK and a headlining show in Germany followed in 1995.

After returning to Australia, Jaz Coleman of Killing Joke began production of the band's first full-length release in Sydney's Powerhouse Studios in 1996. That same year, Armoured Angel featured at the Melbourne leg of the Big Day Out festival tour. The band split shortly after and the album was never released.[9]

Lucy reformed Armoured Angel in 1998 with guitarist/vocalist Yuri Ward of fellow Canberra act Psychrist and drummer Steven Luff. In early 1999, the full-length album Angel of the Sixth Order was released on Sydney's Warhead Records. This incarnation of Armoured Angel was short-lived, with the band splitting again in 1999 after the closure of Warhead Records and the departure of Luff.

Aftermath

After Armoured Angel's disbandment, Lucy performed a short stint in Canberra death metal band Reign of Terror. Yuri Ward continued work with Psychrist, also performing as a live member of Lord Kaos, and later formed death/thrash metallers Kill for Satan. Joel Green currently performs for doom metallers Witchskull.

Lucy and the Green brothers reunited in late 2006 to remaster their back catalogue, including a 1996 pre-production demo of the band's shelved album. Hymns of Hate, a compilation album featuring all of the 1987-1996 line-up's material was released in 2013.

Discography

Wings of Death

  • Released: 1991
  • Format: 7" vinyl
  • Label: CCG (England)

Stigmartyr

  • Released: 1992
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Id/Polygram (Australia)

Mysterium

  • Released: 1994
  • Format: CD
  • Label: Id/Polygram (Australia)

Angel of the Sixth Order

Demo Recordings

Baptism in Blood

  • Released: 1985
  • Format: Cassette
  • Label: Self-released (Australia)

Wings of Death

  • Released: 1989
  • Format: Cassette
  • Label: Self-released (Australia)

Communion

  • Released: 1990
  • Format: Cassette
  • Label: Self-released (Australia)

References
  1. Strong, Catherine. "The case for extreme metal". The Conversation. Retrieved 24 May 2017.
  2. Eduardo Rivadavia. "Armoured Angel – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 January 2011.
  3. "Metal bands aid charity". The Canberra Times. 30 November 1995. Retrieved 24 May 2017 – via Trove.
  4. "Just for the record, CDs still rule over downloads". The Canberra Times. 13 August 2006. p. 20.
  5. "the good times A musical holocaust about to explode – Nice boys play heavy metal music". The Canberra Times. 8 May 1986. Retrieved 24 May 2017 – via Trove.
  6. Scott (2008). "Armoured Angel: A Historic Interview". Fallout Magazine. 9: 22–24.
  7. Shakallis, Chris; Gugler, Robina; Anderson, Cody; Nebauer, Steve (2013). Head full of flames : punk in the nations's capital 1977 to 1992 - alternate sub-kulture and tribal interactions. Hughes, A.C.T.: Robina Jane Gugler. pp. [270-271]. ISBN 9780646905662.
  8. "Radio sounds its attitude". The Canberra Times. 15 October 1992. Retrieved 24 May 2017 – via Trove.
  9. Griffin, Brian (2015). Encyclopaedia of Australian Heavy Metal. Lulu.com. p. 2008. ISBN 9780994320612.
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