The band was founded under the name of Lucifer and initially comprised guitarist and vocalist Kevin Heybourne, guitarist Rob Downing, bassist Kevin Riddles and drummer Steve Jones. Lucifer split and Steve Jones joined up with Bruce Dickinson to form Speed. The remnants of Lucifer became Angel Witch in the following year,when Dave Hogg joined on drums. Eventually Rob Downing left the band.
Angel Witch's first song to achieve mainstream popularity was "Baphomet", which was included on a compilation entitled Metal for Muthas. This song drew a fair amount of attention to the band and they eventually signed a recording deal with EMI. However, the deal was soon cancelled, due to the bad performance of their first single released under the EMI label which was entitled Sweet Danger and lasted a single week in the British charts.
In 1980 Bronze Records picked up the band and they soon proceeded to record and release their debut album, self-titled Angel Witch. This album is considered one of the most notable from the NWOBHM, but subsequent to the album's release, the band's structure began to fall apart. Kevin Riddles and Dave Hogg left the band to join Tytan, and despite Heybourne's attempts to continue Angel Witch with other musicians, the end of the band was declared and he joined Deep Machine.
Angel Witch was brought back to activity in 1982, when Heybourne and two musicians from Deep Machine - namely vocalist Roger Marsden and drummer Ricky Bruce - left to assemble a new Angel Witch line-up together with bassist Jerry Cunningham. This line-up lasted a very short time, as Marsden's voice didn't fit the style of the band very well. He was fired from the band and Heybourne assumed the vocals once more.
By 1983 the band had ceased its activity and Heybourne moved to Blind Fury. In 1984 Angel Witch was once more brought to life, this time with the help of bassist Peter Gordelier, singer Dave Tattum and with Dave Hogg returning to the drums. This line-up recorded the album Screamin' N' Bleedin'. Dave Hogg left the band one more time, but not without many snide remarks from the band's fans. He was replaced by Spencer Hollman. With the new drummer they recorded Frontal Assault, which deviated heavily from Angel Witch's previous albums in having many melodic elements.
Dave Tattum left the band in the same year and for a few years Angel Witch played as a trio in sporadic live performances. In 1989, they recorded a new live album, entitled simply Live - not to be mistaken with the band Live.
Heybourne decided that it would be in the band's best interest to move to the USA, but the other members had no way of accomplishing that, having stable lives on their home country. Thus, an American incarnation of Angel Witch was born. It was composed of Heybourne, bassist Jon Torres (from Laaz Rockit), drummer Tom Hunting and guitarist Doug Piercy. This line-up functioned quite well and soon the band had booked a fair amount of shows throughout the USA. However, it was found that Heybourne had some pending issues regarding immigration, and he was arrested one day before the first concert of the band. Without Heybourne, Angel Witch was soon dissolved.
After the release of the Resurrection compilation in 2000 the band intended to play together once more but after a series of internal conflicts Heybourne assembled yet another line-up with new members. As of 2001 the band is still active even though they do not perform concerts frequently.
Discography
* Angel Witch (1980)
* Loser (EP, 1981)
* '82 Revisited (Live, 1982)
* Screamin' and Bleedin' (1985)
* Frontal Assault (1986)
* Live (Live, 1990)
* Resurrection (2000)
* 2000: Live At The LA2 (Live, 2000)
Loser
Angel Witch Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're not out to get you
You say we're cheating,oh but
No one believes you
You fake it to believe yourself
You tell the tale of how I cheat
So well
Why can't you just accept the facts?
Loser
You only make yourself seem bad
I try to calm you down,
Trying to protect you
But who can help the man
Who will not see the evil?
You try to blame everyone else
You will not see you brought it all
On yourself
Loser
Why can't you just accept the facts?
Loser
You only make yourself seem bad
You try to blame everyone else
You tell the tale of how I cheat
So well
Loser
Why can't you just accept the facts?
Loser
You only make yourself seem bad
The lyrics of "Loser" by Angel Witch address the concept of denial and self-victimization. The singer is trying to reason with someone who perceives them as an enemy, when in reality no harm is intended. Despite the singer's efforts to calm and protect this person, they insist on blaming others and refuse to acknowledge their own role in their situation. The repeated use of "Loser" as a label for this person adds a layer of frustration and exasperation to the singer's tone. Ultimately, the song points out the self-destructive nature of denying responsibility and refusing to see reality.
Line by Line Meaning
Why can't you understand
I am trying to communicate with you, but you seem incapable of comprehending.
We're not out to get you
We have no intention of harming you.
You say we're cheating,oh but
You accuse us of unfair play, but it is not true.
No one believes you
Others do not think your claims hold validity.
You fake it to believe yourself
You deceive yourself into believing your own falsehoods.
You tell the tale of how I cheat
You create a false narrative of me engaging in dishonesty.
So well
You are very convincing in your lies.
Loser
You are a failure who cannot accept the truth.
Why can't you just accept the facts?
Why do you refuse to acknowledge the true reality of the situation?
You only make yourself seem bad
You are damaging your own reputation by your actions and lies.
I try to calm you down,
I attempt to soothe your emotions.
Trying to protect you
I strive to keep you safe from harm.
But who can help the man
No one can assist someone who is unwilling to be helped.
Who will not see the evil?
Who will refuse to acknowledge the malevolence in their own actions?
You will not see you brought it all
You fail to realize that your own actions resulted in these consequences.
On yourself
The blame for these consequences falls solely on you.
You try to blame everyone else
You attempt to shift the responsibility for your own actions onto others.
Contributed by Elizabeth J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.