Felipe Andreoli , bassist for Angra , commented on the dismissal of drummer Aquiles Priester in a recent interview and gave the band's version of the events that led to this decision.
In a conversation with Ibagens Cast , transcribed by Wikimetal , the musician denied the drummer's version of events. Priester, who remained with the band between 2001 and 2008, has attributed his dismissal to ego clashes and jealousy from his colleagues due to the positive public reception, but Andreoli dismisses this narrative.
“Our stance has always been to avoid exposing the band's internal affairs, you know? Especially when it's not good news. If there's nothing good to talk about, don't talk about it. Of course, it's not quite like that; I've never seen anyone get fired from a company for being too good, that never happens,” Andreoli began.
According to the bassist, the decision was delayed for a long time because there were still hopes for a reconciliation or amicable solution. When they realized that the expected changes would not happen, the dismissal became inevitable. In Andreoli's words, the drummer "caused trouble and lost his job," something common in any company.
“We had our reasons, and there were quite a few. And I'll say more, we took a long time to remove Aquiles from the band, given the dissatisfaction that already existed within the group due to his behavior. We took a long time to remove him from the band because it's a very difficult decision to make. Imagine taking a band that did Rebirth, Temple of Shadows , you know? Then we did Aurora Consurgens , and then it kind of fizzled out. I was going through a period of total personal hell, nobody wanted to believe that the whole thing was falling apart,” he continued. “It doesn't mean you have a mortal hatred for the guy forever, no. It was just not possible to work with him anymore at that moment and under those circumstances.”
Finally, Andreoli also commented on the effects of the dismissal on his personal life. “It’s a shame. With these ruptures that we went through working together, there are a series of others that nobody sees. Families that lived together, were friends, visited each other’s homes, also break apart. Aquiles had a son after leaving the band whom I never met,” he lamented.
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