Angel Down: The Good, the Bad and The Insane

Today we have a band that has very little regard for the rules set by greater forces of nature! The performances put on by these  guys are mind blowing and power packed.  Angel Down is about a month away from releasing their original and is definitely one of those bands that deserves to go places as front man Lasith likes to put it “We got the music and the looks so why not?”

Tell me how the band formed?

Well, I and our first drummer, Chathuranga Pitigala (who is now with Stigmata), were part of this hard rock act called Helter Skelter. It was one of those really cool, hard hitting, goot-time bands; while it lasted. But like all good rock n roll stories things started falling apart with Helter Skelter after a while. Which is when we decided to start out on our own and form our own band. This was somewhere around 2011 and it actually took a year for us to find guys as good looking as us to complete the lineup.

How did you guys come up with the name?

There actually is no big, meaningful story behind that one. When we started the band we weren’t really too worried about a name. We just had this feeling that it would come to us. And one day I was listening to some new music and I came across Sebastian Bach’s solo album which was called ‘Angel Down.’ And we just thought it was a really cool name for a band.

Who are your influences?

Well, we’re quite a smelting pot as far as influences go. Obviously we all dig the same kind of bands like Nevermore, Dream Theater, Iron Maiden, Pantera etc etc. but we’ve also got guys like Kusal who are heavily influenced by classical guitarists like Julian Bream and Paco De Luciam and Lahiru whose driving music includes Disney soundtracks (which rock, by the way!).

How often do you guys practice?

As often as we can!

What is the biggest obstacle you guys face in getting your music out there?

Actually we’re about a month away from releasing our debut single. Don’t get me wrong it hasn’t been easy, especially considering that it’s our first recording effort as a band. But we’ve been working with the incredible Ravin Ratnam from Paragon Studios and he’s made all the pain seem like pleasure. In more ways than one (Hehe!).

Do you think electronic music has taken over the scene?

Hmmm, to be honest, I’m really terrible when it comes to keeping in touch with the music that’s “on the scene.” For example sometimes I’d hear a song that I think is pretty cool and get really excited over it and show it to a friend and have them tell me that it’s been out for a year. But as far as electronic music goes, well, I suppose it is quite the rage these days. But I suppose that’s to be expected. With so many artistes putting out so much of music these days, it’s only natural for trends to switch so fast.

Any originals from you guys?

God willing, you’ll be hearing from us within a month’s time!

Who makes the melodies?

We actually don’t have a set process when it comes to writing, because we all tend to write in different ways. So everyone contributes to the writing and tinkering. This is great in a way because it keeps things fresh, and it’s also quite dangerous sometimes because we’re all quite stubborn andsometimes end up settling creative arguments with fist fights.

Craziest guy in the lot?

Haha! That’s definitely Kusal. We have a running joke in the band that he’s definitely the most likely to get us arrested. He almost did once, actually, but the settlement prevents us from discussing the details. But the funny thing is that he’s probably also the wisest in the band and the guy that everyone turns to for advice when shit really hits the fan.

What is the most insanest thing you guys have done as a band?

I’m not sure if those stories are printable on a newspaper?

By Reihan Stephen
Photo credits: Pavithra Jovan De Mello/Jovan De Mello Photography