Hobbs Angel of Death

Hobbs Angel of Death
Origin	Melbourne, VIC
Genres	Thrash metal
Years active	1988 - 1996, 2002 - 2019
Associated acts	Tyrus, Nothing Sacred, Bestial Warlust, Mass Confusion, Renegade, Temujin, Depression, Toecutter, New Religion, Portrayal, Anatomy, Sithlord, Long Voyage Back, Abramelin, Dark Earth, Damaged, Cemetery Urn, Funerary Pit, Insidious Torture, King Parrot, Violentor, Necromorbid, Die Hard, Internment, Desecrator, Destruktor
Past members	Peter Hobbs, Jason Saunders, Steve Scott, Jarro, Bruno Canziani, Dave Frew, Matt Skitz, Jay Sanders, Mark Woolley, Talie Helene, Nick Maltezos, Darren McMaster-Smith, Phil Gresik, Karl Lean, Sham Littleman, Luke Anticevic, Zac Halpin, Alessio Medici, Iago Bruci, Simon Wizen,

• Final line-up
  • Peter Hobbs (vocals, guitar)
  • Alessio Medici (bass)
  • Iago Bruchi (drums)
  • Simon Wizen (guitar)

• Former members
  • Matt Skitz (drums) 2013
  • Jason Saunders (guitar)
  • Steve Scott (bass)
  • Jarro (drums) 2005
  • Bruno Canziani (drums) 1989 - 1990, 2002 - 2005
  • Dave Frew (bass) 1989 - 1990, 2002 - 2005
  • Jay Sanders (bass) 2004
  • Mark Woolley (guitar) 1987 - 1990, 2002
  • Talie Helene (keys) 2002
  • Nick Maltezos (guitar) 1989 - 1990
  • Darren McMaster-Smith (drums) 1988 - 1989
  • Venom (Phil Gresik) (bass) 1988 - 1989
  • Karl Lean (bass) 1987
  • Sham Littleman (drums) 1987

Formed

Melbourne, VIC, 1987

Band information

With their so-called "virgin metal"--to describe their 'untainted' metal style--this band began life as a solo project for former Tyrus member Peter Hobbs, with Karl Lean, Sham Littleman and Mark Woolley being drawn originally from Nothing Sacred. The first album was recorded with the line-up of Hobbs, Woolley, Darren McMaster-Smith from New Religion and Phil Gresik from Mass Confusion. With an image geared towards the European scene it found release through German label Steamhammer long before it was available locally. After this the band virtually disappeared although Hobbs has resurrected the name several times since without quite the same level of success. Gresik moved on to become one of the more prolific members of the Melbourne metal scene whose credits have since included Bestial Warlust, Deströyer 666 and his current solo project Long Voyage Back.

After a long period of self-imposed exile from the music scene, Hobbs reformed Angel of Death in 2002 with the line-up of Woolley, Bruno Canziani, Dave Frew and (very briefly) Talie Helene (keyboards) (ex-Portrayal). Modern Invasion released a compilation of the band's two early demos in mid-2003. Hobbs Angel of Death played at Metal for the Brain in December 2003 and featured at the Wacken festival in Germany in August, 2004 along with touring throughout north western Europe. The line-up for the tour featured Hobbs, Canziani, former Atomizer and Sithlord guitarist Jason Saunders and ex-Atomizer, Sithlord and Hellspawn member Jay Sanders on bass. Canziani was replaced by Jarro from Destruktor but his stay was short. After Jarro's departure, Hobbs' Angel of Death was inactive but Hobbs raised the flag again during 2012, appearing at Evil Invaders in Sydney. Matt Skitz joined the group for a European tour in 2013.

Hobbs became less interested in playing live or touring but he put together a band of Italian musicians to record the album Heaven Bled that was released in October 2016. Failing health prevented him from performing regularly, but a farewell tour of Australia was planned in 2018; he was unable to play the tour due to poor health and he died aged 59 on October 21, 2019.

Discography

Albums:

1988	Angel of Death	Steamhammer
1995	Inheritance	Def
2003	Hobbs' Satan Crusade	Modern Invasion
2016	Heaven Bled	Hell's Headbangers