Seventh Angel
| Company type | Band |
|---|---|
| Industry | Music |
| Founded | 1987 in Halesowen, West Midlands, England |
| Headquarters | Halesowen , England |
| Products | Music albums |
Seventh Angel is a Christian metal group originating from Halesowen, West Midlands, England, established in 1987. Recognized for their unique fusion of doom and thrash metal styles, they produced two albums: The Torment in 1990 and Lament for the Weary in 1992, before their initial breakup. Both records achieved widespread distribution through Music for Nations, aligning Seventh Angel with prominent bands such as Metallica, Slayer, and Megadeth. They were acknowledged by The Daily Telegraph as a premier Christian thrash metal act within the UK.
In 1990, the band headlined the Metal Meltdown festival, toured across Germany and the Netherlands, and featured on Channel 4 and BBC broadcasts during their appearances at the Greenbelt Festival. Guitarist and vocalist Ian Arkley went on to establish doom metal projects Ashen Mortality and My Silent Wake. Seventh Angel reunited in May 2008 with original members Ian Arkley (guitars, vocals), Simon Bibby (guitar), Andrew "Tank" Thompson (drums), and Mark Broomhead (bass), subsequently releasing their third album, The Dust of Years, in 2009.
Demo period (1987–1989)
The band was initiated in 1987 by Ian Arkley alongside Andrew (Andi) Blount, shortly followed by the addition of Scott Rawson. In August 1988, Blount departed to pursue college studies and was temporarily replaced by Andy Hopkins until December. Stuart Benton briefly auditioned as vocalist during 1988.
By early 1989, Mark Ruff had joined as drummer. That year saw the production of Seventh Angel’s self-titled demo—referred to as the "Red" demo—with Ian performing lead guitar, bass under the pseudonym Neil A Kray, and vocals. Shortly thereafter, Simon Bibby joined on bass, and the group began playing shows locally throughout the West Midlands region. Their debut live appearance took place in May 1989 in Netherton.
In August 1989, during their fifth live performance at the Greenbelt Festival, they supported American rock band One Bad Pig. After Ruff's exit, the band embarked on a UK and Ireland tour alongside American Christian metal group Whitecross, featuring Colin Brookes on drums. Andrew "Tank" Thompson eventually succeeded Brookes behind the drum kit. Amidst Scott Rawson’s brief absence, they recorded a second demo titled The Rehearsal Demo.
Channel 4 exposure, critical acclaim and The Torment (1990)
On 25 January 1990, Seventh Angel appeared on Channel 4's program Not on Sunday, delivering a performance of "Divine Takeover" along with an interview segment. That same year, The Daily Telegraph described them as "one of Britain's leading Christian thrash metal bands." Their demo releases garnered favorable critiques across various publications.
On 14 February 1990, Ian Arkley and Simon Bibby were involved in a vehicular accident; Bibby sustained a broken arm while Arkley incurred dental injuries. Despite these setbacks, the band proceeded with scheduled concerts by having Simon assume vocal duties and Scott handle bass responsibilities.
Between 12 and 14 March 1990, they recorded their third demo Heed the Warning at White Rabbit Studios in Bridgnorth under producer Paul Hodson. Following this session, their debut album The Torment was recorded at Mad Hat Studios in Wolverhampton and released later that year featuring cover artwork by British fantasy illustrator Rodney Matthews.
After releasing the album, Seventh Angel performed extensively around Dudley and Stourbridge venues including five shows at The Rock Tavern located in Brierley Hill. They were headliners at Metal Meltdown in November; this event marked Simon Bibby’s final appearance before his departure in February. Additionally, the band contributed to the 1990 split EP Just Be Sure It's Pure, alongside American Christian metal bands Bride, Seraiah, Xalt; German act Creed; and Jeff Scheetz.
BBCTV and Lament for the Weary (1991–1992)
In February, Seventh Angel was featured on BBC television four times, showcasing footage from their performance at the Greenbelt festival, with "Forbidden Desires" as the focal track.
During spring, Simon Jones joined as bassist while Seventh Angel played concerts around Horsham and Stourbridge, including appearances at festivals such as Harry and Crossfire. From 21 March to 7 April, they embarked on a UK tour with Toranaga, performing eleven shows.
The band's sophomore album, Lament for the Weary, was recorded between 4 and 16 July 1991 at ICC studios in Eastbourne with producer Roy Rowland, and was released in 1992. This record combined elements of doom metal and progressive thrash metal and garnered favorable critical reception. Additionally, Seventh Angel contributed to the 1991 split EP White Metal Warriors – Last Ship Home alongside Detritus, Lazarus, Maverick, and Stairway.
On 23 August, they appeared on Greenbelt festival’s main stage, sharing the lineup with American progressive metal band Galactic Cowboys. Following a concert in Croydon in October 1991, Scott departed from the group, with Simon Jones leaving shortly after their Greenbelt appearance. Tank and Ian Arkley continued as the core members.
Foreign concerts and disbandment (1992–1993)
Seventh Angel performed at Christmas Rock Night in Ennepetal, Germany on 7 December 1991, featuring Jon Willis on bass. In subsequent months, Earl Morris of Detritus and Nic White also filled bass duties.
The band toured extensively across the UK, the Netherlands, and Germany. On 30 May, they played in Utrecht with Mark Broomhead from Detritus handling bass responsibilities. They returned to Greenbelt festival on 28 August, this time sharing the stage with Swedish progressive doom metal act Veni Domine.
From 9 September to 12 October and again between 12 November and 12 December, Seventh Angel toured the Netherlands. Mark Broomhead became an official member during this period. Although they progressed toward creating a new album as a trio, their final concert took place on 12 December 1992 in Utrecht. The band dissolved in 1993.
Following the breakup, Ian Arkley went on to form doom metal groups Ashen Mortality (active from 1993 to 2005) and My Silent Wake (established in 2005), also contributing guitar work for Australian Christian doom band Paramaecium in 1999. Tank initiated rap metal projects Freekspert and SukMunki. Mark Broomhead collaborated with former bassist Simon Bibby on epic doom venture Amaranth as well as experimental rock ensemble Fire Fly.
Heed the Warning, comeback and The Dust of Years (2005–present)
In 2005, Bombworks Records issued Heed the Warning: Live & Demo Recordings, a collection comprising Seventh Angel’s demos and live tracks drawn from their studio albums. On 23 May 2008, the band announced their reunion along with plans for a new album, having already composed half of its material. The re-release of Lament for the Weary featured an additional bonus track titled "The Turning Tide," which highlighted their characteristic thrash/doom sound combined with death growl vocals. Later that year, they performed at Brainstorm Festival in the Netherlands and Nordic Fest in Norway. In March 2009, Seventh Angel entered The Priory studio in Birmingham to record The Dust of Years with producer Greg Chandler of Esoteric; this album was released on 24 June 2009 through Bombworks Records and included cover artwork by Matt Vickerstaff of Darkwave Art.
The band established their official Facebook presence in 2012. Their second compilation album, Demo Collection, arrived in 2017 containing material from three separate demos. In 2018, remastered versions of both The Torment and Lament for the Weary were released. On 20 May 2019, Seventh Angel confirmed via Facebook that they had not disbanded and might consider recording again in the future, although no immediate plans were announced.
Members
- Current
- Ian Arkley – vocals, guitars (1987–1991, 1991–1993, 2008–present) (My Silent Wake, formerly of Ashen Mortality, Paramaecium)
- Simon Bibby – guitars (1987–1993, 2008–present) (My Silent Wake)
- Andrew "Tank" Thompson – drums (1989, 1989–1993, 2008–present) (previously My Silent Wake)
- Mark Broomhead – bass guitar (1992–1993, 2008–present) (Detritus)
- Former
- Scott A. Rawson – bass, guitar (1987–1989, 1990–1991)
- Andrew "Andi" Blount – drums (1987–1988) (before initial recordings or live shows)
- Andy Hopkins – drums (1988) (prior to first recordings or performances)
- Stuart Benton – vocals (1988) (before debut recordings or live appearances)
- Mark Ruff – drums (1989)
- Colin Brookes – drums (1989)
- Simon Jones – bass guitar (1991)
- Earl Morris – bass guitar (ex-Detritus) (1991)
- Nic White – bass guitar (1991)
- Jon Willis – bass guitar (1991, 1992)
Discography
Studio albums
- The Torment (1990)
- Lament for the Weary (1992)
- The Dust of Years (2009)
Compilation albums
- Heed the Warning: Live & Demo Recordings (2005)
- Demo Collection (2017)
Extended plays
- Just Be Sure It's Pure (1990, split release with Bride, Creed, Jeff Scheetz, Seraiah, Xalt)
- White Metal Warriors – Last Ship Home (1991, split with Detritus, Lazarus, Maverick, Stairway)
Demo albums
- Seventh Angel (1989)
- The Rehearsal Demo (1989)
- Heed the Warning (1990)