Armoured Angel
Armoured Angel | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Canberra, ACT |
| Genres | Death metal, thrash metal |
| Years active | 1984 - 1996, 1998 - 1999 |
| Labels | Id, Warhead |
| Associated acts | Psychrist, Reign of Terror, Kill for Satan, Witchskull |
| Past members | Dave Davis, Joel Green, Matt Green, Glen "Lucy" Luck, Steve Luff, Tony Sheaffe, Rick Wayy, Yuri Ward |
Band members
- Final line-up
- Lucy (bass)
- Yuri Ward (guitar, vocals)
- Steve Luff (drums)
- Former members
- Joel Green (drums, vocals) 1987 - 1995
- Matt Green (guitar) 1987 - 1995
- Dave Davis (drums) 1985 - 1987
- Tony Sheaffe (guitar) 1985 - 1987
- Rick Wayy (vocals) 1985 - 1987
Formed
Canberra, ACT, 1984
Band information
Armoured Angel was an early Australian death metal band formed in Canberra in 1984 by Lucy as a thrash band featuring Rick Wayy, Dave Davis and Tony Sheaffe. This line-up produced the Baptism in Blood demo in 1985.
By 1987, Armoured Angel had shed most of its personnel and the band was stripped back to a trio of Lucy plus Joel and Matt Green. So the band's classic line-up came to be and lasted another nine years. During this time, Armoured Angel recorded two demos, two EPs and toured Europe and the US, as well as appearing at the Big Day Out and establishing the annual Metal for the Brain festival.
Their classic 1988 demo Wings of Death was the beginning of the Armoured Angel's huge loyal cult following. 1990 saw the release of the Communion demo and a subsequent east coat tour that scored them a major label deal with Id records, a development arm of Polygram. Wings of Death was issued as a vinyl EP by English label CCG in 1991.
After the savage beating of friend Alec Hurley that left him permanently brain damaged, Joel Green organised the first Metal for the Brain festival in late 1991 as a fund-raising event. The show quickly became an annual tradition and Armoured Angel played every year until 1996.
Stigmartyr was released in 1992 on Id and was followed two years later by Mysterium. Resultant tours with Morbid Angel and Bolt Thrower and appearances at both the Sydney and Melbourne Big Days Out helped to raise the band's profile both in Australia and overseas. Armoured Angel toured throughout Germany and the UK in 1995 and laid the foundations of a full-length album to be produced by Killing Joke’s Jaz Coleman but before it was finished the Green brothers left the band due to the direction the recording of the album was headed, putting a lot of internal stress on the band. Armoured Angel band ended with their final performance being at the Melbourne BDO in January 1996.
In mid-1998, Lucy reformed Armoured Angel with Yuri Ward of Psychrist on guitar and vocals and drummer Steve Luff and began playing live once more, returning to the Metal for the Brain stage in October. The full-length CD Angel of the Sixth Order was released by Warhead Records in early 1999 and more touring ensued, with Ward splittling his time between this band, Psychrist and Lord Kaos but Luff left and Armoured Angel stalled once more. Armoured Angel remains one of the most revered of earky Australian metal bands, and their songs have been covered on recordings by Atomizer, Contrive and The Amenta.
In late 2006 Green, Green and Luck reunited to remaster 22 tracks for the compilation album Hymns of Hate but it wasn't released until 2012.
Discography
Albums:
| 1999 | Angel of the Sixth Order | Warhead |
| 2012 | Hymns of Hate | Abysmal Sounds |
EPs:
| 1992 | Stigmartyr | Id |
| 1994 | Mysterium | Id |