OVXM E-ZINE

Here's an interview with one of the area's longest running bands, ANGELRUST. It's members have been involved in the scene since the glorious days of MASTICATED ENTRAILS & MOONTHRONE. So pay attention & take notice to a band that plays music for better a reason than money, pure heart and spirit!

OVXM- When did ANGELRUST form & who was in the original line-up?
Andrew- ANGELRUST was forged into form in 1999, rising from the ashes of two formidable, yet dying bands, namely Masticated Entrails & Moonthrone. The original line-up consisted of myself (Andrew D'Cagna)-guitars, vocals Frank Gordan-bass,MIDI and Tim Markle-drums.

OVXM- What releases has ANGELRUST done thus far?
Andrew- We have three prior demos and our recently released self-titled full-length CD. The demos were "Arcane" (2000), "011101" (2001) and "Paradox" (2001).

OVXM- The song "Amber Messiah" on your last release has a very inspirational meaning. Would you care to ellaborate?
Andrew- That song is very personal to Frank and I especially. One of our previous members had a tremendous alcohol problem. It nearly destroyed the band. After enduring that period of time, I simply had to release my opinion in a song. I think that anyone who has intimately known an alcholic can relate to the song as a whole.

OVXM- What is the next thing ANGELRUST will be working on?
Andrew- ANGELRUST will be entering the studio in the next month to begin recording the "Pale Portrait" EP. There will be four new songs on it, and will be available for $7. With this EP, we will continue to shop for labels 'round the world.

OVXM- Who are the current ANGELRUST members & what is everyones backgrounds as far as area bands go?
Andrew- The current ANGELRUST line-up is as follows: Andrew D'Cagna-guitar/vox, Frank Gordon-bass/MIDI, Aaron Carey-guitar, and Bob Griffin-percussion. My previous bands were DETHRONED (1995), MOONTHRONE (1996-2000), GONE FOREVER (2000) & HARVIST (2002). Frank's prior bands are ORACLE, THE SUN DOGS & MASTICATED ENTRAILS. Aaron's prior projects were in DETHRONED, CONSORTIUM & HARVIST. Bob's past endeavors include SHEER GREED, SCREAMING JESUS & CRIMINAL MIND.

OVXM- You are responsible for TOMBFEST. Has there been difficulty securing venues to house such a great event? This area's club owners aren't really known for their tolerance for metal. (Actually, I think they are ALL pussies and fags.)
Andrew- Oh yeah. We hop from venue to venue,wearing out our welcome as we go. The general mentality here is not very open minded to anything of worldly culture, so we eventually get chased out of everywhere we set up, sooner or later. It's kinda like rave for extreme metal, without the xtc & the annoying dance music.

OVXM- With ANGELRUST, certain songs like "Dogma", the band seems to look down upon organized religion, but then, other songs (I feel) seem very spiritual. Please tell us your views on this?
Andrew- I believe true spirituality knows no organized religion, but rather entertains the possibility of all things. This thought seems incredibly obscure in the eyes of modern society. We tend to link the term "spirituality" to Christianity, simply because it is the predominant belief of this country.That is quite narrow minded in my opinion. I was raised Roman Catholic, so I must admit I have a bit of a grudge with that particular sect of ideology

OVXM- How do you feel things have progressed since Aaron Carey's arrival in the band?
Andrew- ANGELRUST has progressed more in the few months that Aaron's been a member than we have our entire career as a band. He is an undoubtedly brilliant musician, a self motivated.driven individual, and an all around super cool person to have around. Nothing but positivity. And positivity is good.

OVXM- From day one, ANGELRUST has focused on writing original material, & hardly made any money at it. Do you regret that choice after seeing FAR INFERIOR bands do bad covers of radio music & get paid up to $1000 a night to SUCK!?
Andrew- There are very few things that I can say I regret doing, & writing music that makes me want to live another day is definitely NOT one of those things. I have always said if I never made a cent at making music, I wouldn't care. If no one but myself ever listened to my music, I wouldn't care. If there were absolutely no like minded individuals around me to write music with, I would do it alone. Indefinitely. It is absolutely everything that I am. That's the mentality of the entire band.

OVXM- I thank you for your time. Any last comments?
Andrew- Thanks for giving me time to speak. Thanks to everyone who supports the band and the scene in general. \\m// METAL \\m//
http://www.geocities.com/ovxm_interviews/AngelrustInterview.html

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PARANOIZE ZINE #14
Sept, 2000

Angelrust are a metal band from Wheeling, West Virginia. They have a self-released CD available from their own label, Frozen Music. I e-mailed some questions to guitarist/vocalist Andrew D'Cagna and this is what he had to say.
Interview by Bobby Bergeron

Who's in the band? How long have you been together?
The band consists of Tim Markle (drums), Frank Gordon (bass/synth) and myself (Andrew D'Cagna-guitars/vocals). Angelrust is a very young band, now at only nine months. But I've known Tim and Frank for a while. Tim played drums in my first band when we were both like seventeen. Frank I have known for about five years. He used to be in a local death metal band, and he designed the layouts for my former band Moonthrone's first two demos. He's a technological genius.

How would you describe your sound?
Angelrust's music is pure metal. A little of the old, a little of the new, a super concentrated formula of sorts. We're not metal's most groundbreaking band, but we're original enough to standout and we always deliver with conviction.

What recordings do yo have available?
Currently we have a full length self-financed CD entitled "Arcane" available. You can get one via our website at www.masticated.com, or send an INMO to Frozen Music (I'll give up the addy later). As for future plans, were jamming new material right now in the clubs and in the rehearsal space. We're a song and a half away from having enough material to record again. "Dogma" and "Paradox" are CD tides we're kicking around right now. Frank just bought some new recording hardware. So we're eager to test it out.

How is the scene in the Ohio Valley area?
The scene here is minimal, probably as small as it can possibly be and still survive. I must say that it is a very memorable one, though. The handful of extreme music fans here are diehards, and when they merge its utter chaos. Actually we're starting to bleed into the bigger cities. We have a show in Greensburg, PA tomorrow night, a show it Pittsburgh next Saturday and a gig in Glen Dale the following Saturday, so things look promising. There are a few other good bands in the area: Migauss from PA, Magog from Wheeling Island, and Anger Within from Morgantown, WV. They're all asskickers in their own right

Is your label. Frozen Music only releasing bands from the Ohio Valley area?
Oh no, Frozen Music does not limit its span of talent merely to the Ohio Valley. We feature bands from all over the U.S., New York, Tennessee and Texas to name a few. I will now take this opportunity to address ALL unsigned bands...SEND ME YOUR SHIT!! I appreciate all forms of metal and will listen to all submissions. I look at things from a musicians standpoint, not a corporate one.

How do you feel the music fest (Tombfest 2) that you recently organized went?
Tombfest was a complete success in my eyes, and now that it's over I am relieved to say that it went off without a hitch. I think everyone enjoyed themselves and no one got hurt or anything. It was cool as shit to see you, as I know you were engaged in a battle with Murphy's Law during your entire journey here. We have already begun planning Tombfest 3 for next summer. As log as the outcomes are positive, the venues will continue to get bigger and bigger. We can't wait.

Do you have any plans to tour?
We have no plans of "touring" anytime in the near future. We all still have our day jobs, as well as other obligations. I am often preoccupied recording and engineering music, as well as the label too, of course. Frank has a small yet formidable CD duplication business that pretty much keeps him hopping. Depending on the location, we still do gigs here and there. We'll never stop Playing live, that's for sure.

What have you been listening to lately?
Hmmmm. What have I been listening to....Opeth! If you haven't heard this band yet, you HAVE to check them out. I've been jamming on In Flames (all), Dream Theater (Scenes From A Memory) and old Megadeath for some odd reason. I listen to Goatwhore and Soilent Green alot too.

What are your opinions on: religion; straightedge; the Internet?
Religion to me is a spiritual crutch, a manipulative farce. To have an idea is one thing, to deem it a divine mandate is another. Society can survive without religion, but it cannot Survive without belief. Straight edge is cool with me. It's a disciplined and steadfast concept and I admire that. But straight edge kids around here persecute and attack people who drink or smoke, and I think that is a concept misconstrued. As far as the Internet goes, I think it's a magic wand. One statement holds true for all three subjects: It's all in how you use them.

Any final comments?
Thanks to you Bobby for giving me the opportunity to speak. And thanks to every person who goes to shows, buys CDs and keeps the underground alive.

Paranoize Fanzine
C/O Bobby Bergeron
P.O. Box 15554
New Orleans, LA 70175-5554
e-mail: paranoize@hotmail.com
http://www.angelfire.com/la/paranoize