York Minster has agreed to be the venue for a heavy metal band called Plague of Angels in a gig titled ‘Organic Metal: Two Worlds Collide’.
By Andrew Halloway
Critics would say that the two worlds of heavy metal music and an Anglican cathedral do indeed collide and conflict. Even Christians who have no problem with the music genre itself might baulk at songs by Plague of Angels with titles like ‘Beyond Salvation’ being played in a worship building, and at Black Sabbath music booming from the pipes of the Grand Organ of the Minster – which also forms part of the evening.
The concert will be split into three performances. David Pipe, former assistant director of music at York Minster, will lead an organ recital featuring classics from heavy metal pioneers like Black Sabbath and Deep Purple. Then Aaron Stainthorpe, vocalist for My Dying Bride and High Parasite, will perform a set inspired by the metal genre and accompanied by the organ.
Finally, the evening will end with a one-hour set from Plague of Angels, which will include performances of their singles ‘What Lies Beneath’ and ‘Beyond Salvation’. The band’s vocalist, Anabelle Iratni, says the single ‘Beyond Salvation’ is “based on a twisted, kooky, dark lullaby that I had lurking in the shadows”.
The event, billed as the ‘first-of-its-kind at the Minster’, takes place on 25 April.
Sources: yorkmix.com, 20 Jan; Hold Tight News, 26 July 2024
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