Into The Pit with Blood of Angels

Into The Pit with Blood of Angels

Inspired by the legendary local metal scene of Tampa, Florida, Blood of Angels are making their mark on the genre that has guided them through the darkest of times. With local town heroes such as Cannibal Corpse and Nasty Savage inspiring down that path, Blood of Angels blend death, black, thrash and lashings of power metal into a high-octane frenzy.  The band has toured with Jungle Rot and The Convalescence in support of their Failure of Faith 2020 album – and are now in the midst of recording a brand-new magnum opus entitled Les Angst ov Thanatou.  Highwire Daze recently interviewed guitarist and founding member Aaron Robinson – join us as we go into the pit with Blood of Angels!

Introduce yourself, tell me what you do in Blood of Angels, and how long the band has been together?
My name is Aaron Robinson, I am the guitarist and founder of Blood of Angels. I started the band in October 2015. We went through early line-up changes. Our current line-up has been together since 2018.

Where is the band based out of and what is the local music scene like there?
We are based in Tampa, Florida. It is the home of American death metal. The music started here in the mid-80’s with bands like Obituary and Morbid Angel. We are proud to be a part of a music scene with such a history. The scene has changed. A lot of the younger bands have taken more of their influence from the Norwegian black metal bands. It is a very strong scene. There are shows every week. A lot of opportunities for musicians to get on stage.

Is there any story or concept behind the upcoming album title Les Angst ov Thanatou?
There is a concept to our upcoming album. We are exploring various cultural rituals on how we mourn and celebrate life and loss. After some of our friends, and ourselves who have suffered loss from Covid, we felt this would be the direction for our next album as a way to come together and heal. So far, the album is coming together well. It is a true collaborative effort. We are half done. We are working on scheduling more studio time to get the rest of the album recorded.

Select two songs from Les Angst ov Thanatou and what inspired the lyrics.
“The Last Rites” is lyrically about the final ritual used most notably in Catholicism as a final cleansing for those passing on. But there are similar rituals in many other cultures outside of Christianity as well. Our song focuses mostly on that similarity that connects us all. “The Pain Inside” is a song more about the loved ones left behind after the passing of a family member. The song goes through the many stages of grief.

What could one expect from a live Blood of Angels show?
We are a high energy band. We get into the crowd, jump in the mosh pit and have fun with everyone. We look at a show not just as a concert, but a big party. It is just that we get to be the music for that party. We love the people. I feel the feeling is mutual.

How did your tour with Jungle Rot & The Convalescence go and what were some of the highlights?
That was a great tour. We had a lot of highlights. The first show of the tour was in Battle Creek, MI at the Music Factory. It is a fantastic venue with a large stage. Even with the backlining of the other bands, there was still a lot of room to move around. The audience was fantastic, and really took to us. We are still in contact with many people from that show, and we can’t wait to return. The other highlight was Toledo Death Fest. Jungle Rot headlined that festival. We were on the outside stage. I was very happy about that because the outside stage has more room. We went on around 3pm. The outdoor area was packed out. The crowd was great and made us feel very welcome. Meeting everyone at our merch booth after our set was incredible. We thank everyone who took the time to come by to say hi.

If Blood of Angels could open for any band either now or from the past, who would it be and why?
Lamb of God for sure. I feel there are a lot of similarities between the two of us. We have similar backgrounds being working class guys from the southeast. I believe our sounds would blend together really well for a show. They seem like awesome people to meet. We could learn a lot from their experiences in this business.

Has Blood of Angels ever played in the Los Angeles/Orange County area, or is that something you would like to do in future days? If you played here, what was that experience like?
We have not played in the LA area. But we were there last August for the 2023 Hollywood Independent Music Awards. The award ceremony took place at the Avalon Theater across from the Capitol Records building. We won the “Best Rock/Metal Song” award for our latest single “Spillage.” The ceremony was amazing with great red-carpet opportunities that included many tv and podcast interviews. Because of the history of the city, and all the people we met while we were there. We would love to return to play in Los Angeles in the future.

What’s up next for Blood of Angels?
We are continuing to finish recording our next album Les Angst ov Thantanou. We are looking forward to having it released in the fall with a new full production music video. We also want to start touring in September in support of the album. We plan to stay on the road as much as we can over the next few years.

Any final words of wisdom?
Never give up if music is what you love, and what you want to do. The journey is long. It is not over if you don’t “make it by thirty.” Keep applying for opportunities, because all you need is one person to say yes and give you the chance to prove yourself. Make the most of every chance you’re onstage. It does not matter if you’re playing for 3,000 or 3 people. Give it your best every time.

 Blood of Angels is Randy Reyes (vocals), Aaron Robinson (guitars), Jonathan Rushford (drums), and the Maggot (bass)!

(Interview by Ken Morton)

Blood of Angels on Instagram