Last Monday, the 20th, Nando Machado interviewed the vocalist of Angelus Apatrida , Guillermo Izquierdo , for the second episode of The Wikimetal Happy Hour . Did you miss this great conversation or want to relive the best moments of this chat? No problem, check out everything that happened in this interview below:
Starting the conversation with a toast (a moment that the first interviewee in the series, Eddie Trunk , regretted at the end of the interview, upon realizing they weren't drinking), Nando and Guillermo briefly discussed adapting to the new reality of COVID-19.
Izquierdo explains that, unfortunately, like all bands and artists on the road, they had to postpone and cancel their current tour throughout Europe. Furthermore, the vocalist mentions that this year marks the band's 20th anniversary, so the celebration was somewhat spoiled.
However, Angelus Apatrida is not standing still, and is adapting to the reality of social distancing, writing and recording new songs, as well as performing live shows, dubbed " Quarantine Sessions ," on the band's YouTube channel directly from each member's home.
Nando even praises one of the performances by a veteran band called Barón Rojo , in which Angelus performed a revival of the song "Resistiré ," which sees the band singing in Spanish again, reliving the beginning of their career. Guillermo also says that the choice of song is fitting for the moment we are living in, in addition to being a pop song that is very successful in Spain.
In addition to the sessions the band is doing, Izquierdo is also watching live streams of other groups, such as Swiss bands who can even rehearse together since the situation there isn't as serious.
Regarding the new album, Guillermo says there's no release date yet, as everything at the record label is on hold due to the pandemic, but they continue producing new music and probably a lot of new material from various bands will be released next year.
Nando then shows the musician some album covers. For the first album, Slayer 's *Reign in Blood , Guillermo calls it a sacred bible, considering it one of the greatest thrash metal albums ever made. Next, Mastodon , * The Hunter *, elicits a "wow!" from the musician, and he says the band is one of his current favorites. Third, Metallica 's * Death Magnetic * from 2008, which the singer says surprised him, but that he ultimately likes the album. Finally, two albums for one, Black Sabbath's * Volume 4 * from 1972 and * Heaven and Hell * from 1980, and he admits: for him, Black Sabbath is Ozzy Osbourne .
When questioned about his long visit to Brazil (after repeatedly showing the guitar pick with the Brazilian flag to the camera), Guillermo explains that this is their second time in the country; the first was in 2016, and the most recent was in December of last year. The vocalist talks about the Rio de Janeiro venue where Angelus Apatrida played last year, praising the place for feeling like a real concert venue, unlike some European places that resemble libraries. Guillermo says he really enjoyed the vibe of the audience and the venue. Furthermore, he also praised Fabrique, the São Paulo venue where they played. Izquierdo says he wants to return to Brazil as soon as possible, perhaps next year if the "coronavirus mess" allows.
Nando asks the musician, who spoke about the Brazilian metal scene being very good, if he has heard the new Sepultura . Guillermo says no, but that he intends to check out the project soon.
The conversation concludes with Guillermo recounting how people close to him are working on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain, stating that they are seeing people die every day and that we must stay home to make this pass as quickly as possible.
Check out one of Angelus Apatrida's quarantine sessions below, featuring the track "Give 'Em War":
