{"id":96501,"date":"2019-10-28T13:00:05","date_gmt":"2019-10-28T18:00:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/?p=96501"},"modified":"2019-10-28T12:08:25","modified_gmt":"2019-10-28T17:08:25","slug":"interview-with-kevin-heybourne-of-angel-witch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/interview-with-kevin-heybourne-of-angel-witch\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Kevin Heybourne of Angel Witch"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"fb-root\"><\/div>\n<p>Are you an angel witch? <b>Kevin Heybourne<\/b>, sole remaining founding member of the legendary band, certainly is. Formed in 1978 and with a now-legendary debut album in 1980, <b>Angel Witch<\/b> has some of the strongest name recognition from the original NWOBHM movement, much of it based on the strength of dark and catchy tracks that just didn\u2019t propel them to the popularity they deserved back in the day.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>Years after their original disbanding, Angel Witch reformed and started slowly ramping up activity, with a second modern album titled <i>Angel of Light<\/i> slated to be released next Friday. Fortunately, Kevin was willing to answer some of my questions about the band.<\/p>\n<p><b>Angel Witch is moving slowly since reforming, with a seven year delay between albums. What made it the right time to unleash <\/b><b><i>Angel of Light<\/i><\/b><b> on the world?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Well, we never intended it to take that long. But we never intended it <i>not<\/i> to, either. There wasn\u2019t really a grand plan and I work at my own pace.<\/p>\n<p>But, looking back, there was a weirdness with our former drummer, which really kicked in on a tour in early 2013, and when you have such negativity in a band, you can be sure nothing creative is going to happen! We had to make some changes to get the whole thing back on track, and by the tail end of 2017 we\u2019d had a good ten months with a solid new line up, and everyone was feeling good, so I just decided it was time to work on new material. When you have a good unit of people who are all pulling in the same direction, it happens a lot easier. I mean, it\u2019s not \u201ceasy\u201d to write songs, but it\u2019s a lot better when you have three other guys who are all on the same page.<\/p>\n<div align=\"center\"><iframe style=\"border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=3237150531\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"><a href=\"http:\/\/angelwitch.bandcamp.com\/album\/angel-of-light\">Angel of Light by Angel Witch<\/a><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><b>Has your interest in fantasy and the occult ever wavered in forty years of Angel Witch?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Not really, I\u2019ve always been into reading those sorts of books and watching those kinds of films, but I\u2019m not obsessed with it all; I\u2019m just a child of the seventies I guess, I grew up with all that stuff, and your first love is your first love after all.<\/p>\n<p><b>Recently, Angel Witch played in Canada. Is there any chance of the band making it to the United States in support of the new album?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019d like to but it\u2019s not 100% sure at the moment. We certainly will be doing more stuff in Canada, so it may be wise to take the trip across the border if you can get up there.<\/p>\n<p><b><i>Angel of Light<\/i><\/b><b> is being called by some fans the proof that Angel Witch is still, even now, one of the best heavy metal bands in the world. Does the pressure of that expectation and legacy weigh heavily?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>\u201cOne of the best heavy metal bands in the world,\u201d eh? That\u2019s good to know!<\/p>\n<p>That first album is certainly a heavy burden, which is odd because at the time none of the original band liked it that much, as we felt that it was a bit lightweight and didn\u2019t represent our live sound, and the British press (which was the only press we saw) just hated it. Over time it has become clearer and clearer that is an important record to a lot of people, and now it does feel like it shadows over everything we do.<\/p>\n<p><b>How did Angel Witch\u2019s partnership with Metal Blade Records come about?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>We actually spoke to a lot of labels and had a number of offers to go through but the <strong>Metal Blade<\/strong> deal was the most ambitious plan in terms of marketing and cool ideas for getting the word out there, so it made so much sense to go with them. So far it all feels great, in terms of the vibe around the album and the visibility of the band. They are working pretty hard on it all. Which is great, because we worked really hard on the music and recording.<\/p>\n<p><b>What led to the decision to re-record two songs from the underrated <\/b><b><i>Frontal Assault<\/i><\/b><b> for the deluxe edition of the album?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>We play them in rehearsals (and have played them live once or twice over the last few years), so we bashed through them in the studio, just to get bedded in, and then just carried on working on them as if they were part of the album tracks. It\u2019s always good to have this stuff kicking around in case you can find a use for it\u2026and we did!<\/p>\n<p><b>Both <\/b><b><i>As Above, So Below<\/i><\/b><b> and the new record feature material going back to the \u201870s and \u201880s. Is there anything else from back in the day that you\u2019d like to record in the present?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Not really. There are riffs here and there, but nothing which blows me away. Of course, the others might get their hands on an old live tape and try to force me into it. And they might succeed, or not!<\/p>\n<p><b>If you were to play a live set without anything from the debut in the set list, what songs from your other releases would you want to include?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I think we could make a set from a number of songs we chop and change in and out of our live set. Tracks like Guillotine, Dead Sea Scrolls, Baphomet, Into the Dark, Extermination Day, Dr Phibes, Flight 19 and pretty much any of the tracks from the new album.<\/p>\n<p><b>Both in the studio and live you\u2019ve alternated between single and dual guitar lineups. What advantages do you find each approach has for Angel Witch?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I think that the power-trio line up is great fun, and you can be more creative as a guitar player as you don\u2019t have to be so locked in with another guitarist, but in terms of translating recorded music to a live audience\u2014it\u2019s two guys all the way. Certainly with what we\u2019re doing; the harmonies and chordal textures over riffs and all that stuff. I suppose that over the years my songwriting has become a bit more disciplined and less free-form, so it works better the way we have it now.<\/p>\n<p><b>There has been more than one best-of compilation that only takes songs from <\/b><b><i>Screamin&#8217; n&#8217; Bleedin&#8217;<\/i><\/b><b> and <\/b><b><i>Frontal Assault<\/i><\/b><b>. Is there anything you\u2019d change about those two records today? How do you feel about them thirty years later?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I don&#8217;t really care for those records. They had some good ideas, some good songs even, but the direction we took was not really what Angel Witch was about, and the production, if you can call it that? Forget it! Maybe we should have called the band something else at that point? I don&#8217;t know, I try not to think about those albums too much.<\/p>\n<p><b>Do you have any particular favorites from the various songs that didn\u2019t make it onto full lengths? As an example, the exclusive ones from song of the early singles, or \u201cBaphomet\u201d from the Metal For Muthas compilation.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Well, there is a demo that has an arrangement of \u2018Loser\u2019 on it which is pretty killer!<\/p>\n<div align=\"Center\"><iframe style=\"border: 0; width: 350px; height: 470px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=4102633119\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/tracklist=false\/transparent=true\/\" seamless=\"\"><a href=\"http:\/\/angelwitch.bandcamp.com\/album\/seventies-tapes\">Seventies Tapes by Angel Witch<\/a><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><b>As a follow-up, given the recent release of <\/b><b><i>Seventies Tapes<\/i><\/b><b> compiling the pre-album demos, are there any plans for a comprehensive anthology of the non-album recordings?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t see that happening really. I mean, those demos belong to me, because I paid for them. But a lot of the non-album stuff is owned by various labels, or the BBC or whatever, so it\u2019s not so simple. Also, it\u2019s all out there in various forms, so everything can be tracked down and owned if you want it!<\/p>\n<p><b>What\u2019s different about where Angel Witch is at now versus where Angel Witch was at with <\/b><b><i>As Above, So Below<\/i><\/b><b>?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re more solid now. In terms of playing and just the way the personalities get on well within the band. We\u2019re enjoying playing together now\u2014which helps everything along in a way which really should not be underestimated. To me <em>As Above, So Below<\/em> was the sound of a band trying to find its feet. But the new one is just a recording of four guys who have already done that and are in the pocket with each other. It\u2019s so much more confident.<\/p>\n<p><b>Is there any consideration for the band\u2019s origins and history that goes into the studio in terms of choosing guitar tones or mix styles, or is everything chosen to fulfill a vision for the music?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Yeah, sure. While I really don\u2019t want to go back and just do a pastiche of my past, I am in a band with guys who grew up with that first Angel Witch album and are totally into all the music I was listening to at the time I was writing that stuff, and we\u2019d all be disgusted if someone started trying to trigger the drums into some 2019 typewriter sound, you know? So it\u2019s just natural for us to use my old amp for the guitars and Fredrik\u2019s old Ludwig is a 70\u2019s heavy rock kit. We just record how we sound, really.<\/p>\n<p><b>How did you meet and decide to record with James Atkinson?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Will knows him pretty well, he\u2019s in that band <strong>Gentleman\u2019s Pistols<\/strong> who he worked with at Rise Above. Fredrik had toured with them when he was in Witchcraft and got on well with him and <strong>Bill Steer<\/strong> did say \u201che\u2019s your guy\u201d a couple of times, so we got him down to a rehearsal and had a couple of beers, and it was good!<\/p>\n<p>Aside from being an engineer he\u2019s also a great songwriter, great singer and great guitar player. That spells \u201cproducer\u201d in my book! It was great to work with him. I think he got the best out of us, for sure!<\/p>\n<p><b>How do you feel about England\u2019s metal scene now compared to where it was when you first started playing in bands?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t really keep up with it to be honest. I know that the live music circuit in general is a lot smaller, people just have so many other options of things to do these days. Which is good, of course, but sad if you have a love of live music as we all do.<\/p>\n<p><b>What keeps bringing you back to heavy metal?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t know? It\u2019s just what I do. Not even Heavy Metal as such, just Angel Witch\u2014it\u2019s inside me needing to get out. I have to do it, I have no control over that!<\/p>\n<p><b>Have you had to make any changes singing across the years to maintain your voice, or has it all been natural?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s all been natural, but I also wouldn\u2019t say it\u2019s been maintained at all! Recently I have started to look into doing that though. I play guitar all the time and it keeps me sharp\u2014I guess I could do the same with my voice!<\/p>\n<p><b>Do you have anything else you\u2019d like to say, or promote?<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Just thanks for the chat.<\/p>\n<p>And if you\u2019ve read this far, thanks for sticking with it\u2014you have earned yourself a nice cup of tea!<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h3 style=\"text-align: center;\">Angel Witch&#8217;s new album<em> Angel Of Light<\/em> releases November 1st through <span style=\"color: #d13030;\"><a style=\"color: #d13030;\" href=\"https:\/\/angelwitch.bandcamp.com\/album\/angel-of-light\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Metal Blade<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Are you an angel witch? Kevin Heybourne, sole remaining founding member of the legendary band, certainly is. Formed in 1978 and with a now-legendary debut album in 1980, Angel Witch has some of the strongest name recognition from the original NWOBHM movement, much of it based on the strength of dark and catchy tracks that just didn\u2019t propel them to the popularity they deserved back in the day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":94,"featured_media":96502,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"NWHOBHM band Angel Witch are back with a new album coming out later this month and we were fortunate enough to catch up with their mainstay Kevin Heybourne today","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[478,12],"tags":[9110,1640],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/PromoAccessory_822404.jpg?fit=710%2C370&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96501"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/94"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96501"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96746,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96501\/revisions\/96746"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96502"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/toiletovhell.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}