This myspace site is for YOU. I am running it with the great help of Nina, my webmistress. I appreciate all your wonderful comments and messages and I read them all, but I can't answer each one of them (I try whenever i find the time). I will keep you updated about all my projects and whatever else you are interested in! There is only one rule for this site: I do not tolerate discrimination, racism and sexist comments - about nothing and nobody! Tolerance is the key to a better world..
For anybody who wants to know - this is my story so far:
I was born in Cologne, Germany the 5th of November in the middle of the night. Which makes me a Scorpio with ascendant Cancer or, in other words, an ambivalent personality who loves the extreme.I had a wild and wonderful childhood with my 3 siblings in the countryside until I decided to become an angry teenager, trading my Queen vinyls for Carcass, Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse LPs. I was about 16 years old and perfectly managed to upset my once very Christian orientated parents.
I joined my first death metal band in 1991: ASMODINA. Soon after, I moved out from home (I kinda run away, I was only 17 years old at that time). In a blink of an eye my childhood had turned into adolescent hell. My parents got divorced. Their business went chapter 11. Our house got auctioned off. I was a bit of an outsider at school; I had a very different taste in music and clothes. I was into extreme music and rehearsing with my band. I was a bit troubled. I suffered from severe eating disorders. I managed to overcome these completely. If you are anorexic or bulimic - seek for help! The earlier you tackle this, the better!
I graduated from school and started to work as a trainee for an advertising company. I specialized in online marketing and simultaneously began to study economies at the Cologne University. I never stopped screaming in my band all these years. In 1997 Asmodina called it a day and I formed Mistress. We were pretty active; playing shows every weekend and recording demos. I never dreamed about doing this professionally though, this just seemed too far off. And then I started to write for an online music magazine, covering the rock & metal sector and met Arch Enemy for an interview on their Burning Bridges tour in 1999 in Bochum, Germany. And fate took me by its hand.I had brought a Mistress demo tape with me and I gave it to Christopher Amott (we were always fishing for local support slots). The Arch Enemy guys listened to it on their tour bus and Chris kept it, cuz they were a little surprised by my singing. I stayed in loose mail contact with them. After all, I was a fan.In autumn of 2000 I received a phone call by Mr. Michael Amott himself. He told me they had split with Johan Liiva and were looking for a new singer. If I would be interested to come over to Sweden for an audition.. They had found that old Mistress tape.. FUCK YES!
A few weeks later I was screaming my head off in their rehearsal room. And suddenly we were in the Fredman studios, giving it a try. After I recorded the first song Enemy Within the decision was made: Angela Gossow shall be the new singer of Arch Enemy. What? What?? What???My life has changed a lot since that fateful day in November 2000. I recorded my first really professional piece of music with a real band. With ARCH ENEMY for hells sake. I quit my job (Oh what a joyful day. Walking into the boss office and having him beg me to stay. Me saying No, I am going to be a full time musician now. The expression of disbelief on his face. Priceless.) I also stopped studying. I pretty much cut all strings attached.
No compromise. I wanted to be free. I was very, very determined to ake this happen.We rehearsed and rehearsed. Then I lost my voice completely before our first Japan tour. I got diagnosed with nodules. Bad news! All these years of screaming without ANY technique at all had finally taken its toll on my vocal chords and struck me in the worst possible moment. I had to take 6 months off and re-learn everything. Speaking, breathing and screaming. Start from scratch, this time with the knowledge and techniques to back me up. Today I am glad this happened to me. I learned so much from my failure back then, it has helped me through a lot of problematic situations on tour and in the studio. Please check my vocal advice section at www.angelagossow.com if you have any troubles yourselves!
What doesnt kill you makes you stronger. Why do we fall? We fall to pick ourselves up again..The last years havent been the easiest. But by far the best! I have toured the world several times; have been to all 5 continents. I have played on small and on big stages, in fancy arenas and in dusty sh..holes. With and without dressing room. With and without food, shower and sleep. But always with you. Our fans. Our friends. I have received so much love, kind words, gifts and flowers from you. It is overwhelming and hard to comprehend why. But its happening to me and I am very, very grateful for this.I dedicate my time 100% to Arch Enemy. I do have hobbies, but they are all somehow connected to Arch Enemy.I read a lot, always looking for lyrical inspiration. For the same reason I am very much into movies. And of course music. I work out to stay fit for singing and stage presence. I eat and live healthy to keep my body = instrument in order. I love food. I am a vegetarian, borderline vegan (I am allergic to most milk products). I am constantly cooking and baking when I am at home. I love blueberries. And fresh baked bread, hot from the oven coated in a thick layer of butter. Self-made marmalade. Cashew nuts. Salads. Goat cheese. Cinnamon raisin bagels. And of course space cookies. But this is another story..
Why am I a vegetarian? I grew up without meat. I don't like the idea of eating a dead animal, a corpse, carcass. And I dont like the meat industry, it's mass production and exploitation of animals.
I am left handed. I played accordeon for 6 years and guitar for a couple of years.My future plans and dreams: Arch Enemy for the next couple of years. I have also started to do vocal coaching and will be working more closely with Melissa Cross (www.melissacross.com) in the future. After that, I dont know. Maybe moving out to a green little island and taking it easy. Maybe something completely different. Life takes so many unexpected turns..
What else? I am a very pragmatic person. I don't believe in organized religion. I am not sure about god. I believe there is more to this world that I can see. I believe in love. And responsibility. We are responsible for our live and our deeds. We are responsible for this planet and its creatures. When are we finally waking up? Like sheep to the slaughter.. And I dont believe politicians. But I vote. To make sure the Right Wing does NOT get my vote.I fear death and loss. I dont want anybody whom I love to die before me. I hate having a cold. I am not afraid of spiders. But afraid of war, terror and crime. I think this world is a terrible and wonderful place at the same time. I wish there would be no disease, poverty, murder, violence, envy, lies and hatred. But there is and thats why there is heavy metal. The Symphonies Of Destruction. My way and YOUR way to deal with the frustration, the anger, the pain, to channel it and get it out of the system. I cant live without music, it makes me feel alive and strong, no matter what. I hope you can feel the power of music too!
Love,
Angela
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