For years, fans of Fifth Angel have been clamoring for the band to reunite. Having split in 1989 after two highly regarded albums, the metal group chose to remain silent, with each of its members pursuing other interests.
By BRIAN J. HEATON
For years, fans of Fifth Angel have been clamoring for the band to reunite. Having split in 1989 after two highly regarded albums, the metal group chose to remain silent, with each of its members pursuing other interests.
In 2007, the band finally relented and explored the possibility of playing some festival dates in Europe. Unfortunately, the plans were short-lived. As vocalist Ted Pilot revealed, touring just wasn't practical, given the band members' other commitments.
"I discussed touring with Ed [Archer, rhythm guitar] at length and he felt that touring, especially the preparation, would result in too much time being taken away from his sons," the singer explained. "He's a good father and has a nice family. I think that's a justifiably good reason not to tour."
In addition to family considerations, the time needed to get Fifth Angel ready to play live was too labor-intensive. Although lead guitarist Kendall Bechtel and bassist John Macko were in, drummer Ken Mary was unavailable, so a drummer audition would have been needed, and Pilot runs his own business as an endodontist in Seattle, Wash. – a profession that doesn't leave him with much downtime.
"It's maybe not as noble [as Archer's reason] but I am busy running my practice," he said. "If everything is not lined up, the additional time I would be required to spend would not be do-able."
Touring and the Band's Split Ironically, not playing live was also a critical factor in Pilot's decision to not continue Fifth Angel after its 1989 release, Time Will Tell. The early incarnation of the band, called "Ridge" (which consisted of Pilot, Archer and Mary during high school), played often in local clubs around Bellevue, Wash., the band's hometown. But under the name "Fifth Angel," the band never played a live show, something the vocalist regrets.
After releasing its debut self-titled album on an independent label (Shrapnel Records) in 1986, Fifth Angel signed its major record deal with Epic Records. The label then re-released the band's debut and decided that Fifth Angel should wait to tour until it did a second record.
Combined with some label changes, Fifth Angel simply couldn't get off the ground.
"We lost tour support and some of our key people at the label during the turnover," Pilot explained, referring to the CBS/Sony buyout during that time. "It was disappointing to say the least. This was also how we lost financial support for the second MTV video, ['Broken Dreams'], which was to be the follow up to 'Time Will Tell.'"
Internal turmoil also had an impact on Fifth Angel. Ken Mary had left the band and both Pilot and Archer were faced with a decision to continue their non-musical careers or push on with Fifth Angel. All of this happened roughly at the same time that Time Will Tell made its debut.
Ultimately, the decision to end the band came down to continuing problems with the record label.
"Ed and I just felt that we weren't getting the backing from the label that we were promised," Pilot recalled. "It was always 'next time' or 'next album' and we didn't really have the control of the project that we wanted. The best way to describe it is we felt powerless to improve our situation.
"I did feel bad for the other guys," the singer added. "They really wanted to stick with it."
The Early Years and Influences Fans that own both Fifth Angel albums will notice several vocal differences between the two releases. Specifically, many of the higher parts found on the first album are toned down a bit on the follow-up. When asked about it, Pilot explained it was all about the song and the maturity gained while writing.
"As you write more, you begin to tailor the melodies to better suit your vocal range and also write what will hopefully sound better in the studio," the vocalist said. "It becomes a combination of what the song would dictate along with the limitations of what would sound best in my vocal range."
Two of Pilot's favorite Fifth Angel songs that illustrate his taste in melody are "Cry Out the Fools" and "Cathedral." The former, in particular, is a song the vocalist felt contains the most powerful melody on either record. Pilot also credited original lead guitarist James Byrd on the song, saying the axeman did a "great job" on the guitar solo.
The history behind Fifth Angel's original lead guitarist has always been of interest to fans. James Byrd feels strongly that both Pilot and Archer fired him right as the band signed its deal with Epic Records and that they made the decision for business reasons. Pilot, however, is adamant that the decision to replace Byrd with Kendall Bechtel was made by the entire group.
"No matter what you have heard, it was a unanimous decision between all members to change guitarists due to personality differences," the singer maintained. "It was not instigated by one member, but discussed and decided on by all. That's it. No financial motivation, no problems with the playing or writing.
"It's like any time you work closely in a group, sometimes there are personality clashes," Pilot added. "Maybe we could have tried to work through those differences, but at the time, a different decision was made."
(Lack of) Future Plans From Pilot's perspective, future albums from Fifth Angel are unlikely. Although the vocalist acknowledged that given advances in technology, you can write and record an album from home, it's performing that really makes it worth it for him as an artist.
"Without the performance aspect, I would not really be that interested," Pilot admitted. "I guess that's why I lost some of my passion for music. When you don't perform for a long time, it begins to feel more like a job … where you have to deal with record labels, lawyers, managers and all the other 'behind the scenes' crap."
Despite there not being much of a foreseeable future for Fifth Angel, the vocalist gratitude to fans for their interest over the years.
"When I hear that there are still people out there who enjoy our music, it really makes me feel great," Pilot said. "I can't express how much I and the rest of the band members appreciate hearing from fans, especially after all this time. I hope we've made some difference." For more information on Fifth Angel, visit www.FifthAngel.net.
One of Fifth Angel's defining qualities is the operatic vocal style of Ted Pilot. Classically trained, the vocalist wrote the majority of the band's melodies and lyrics. Pilot was influenced by an array of different singers, including those of the power metal variety. Vocalists such as Ronnie James Dio (Black Sabbath, Rainbow) and Bruce Dickinson (Iron Maiden) were two that Pilot identified as favorites, along with James Hetfield (Metallica) for the edge he has in his voice.