We caught up with Ted Aguilar of Death Angel before their show at The Fillmore in San Francisco, during their tour with Children of Bodom and Týr. Ted opened up about the tour, the band’s relentless road schedule, his early days joining Death Angel, and what it was like jamming with Kirk Hammett.
Capital Chaos TV:
First off, you’re on this tour with Children of Bodom and Týr. How’s the tour been going? You’ve been on it for about three weeks now, right?
Ted Aguilar:
Yeah, about three weeks. We spent most of the first two weeks up in Canada—freezing cold. I think I’ve had my coat on more than off, with snow and negative temperatures. But the tour’s been going really well. The Bodom guys and their whole crew have been awesome. The shows have been amazing. We couldn’t be any happier.
Capital Chaos TV:
You guys have been doing quite a bit of touring since the album came out, right? I think you did a stateside tour before this one, and then you were up in Europe in December. How’s the reaction been to the new stuff? You’ve been playing some of it live—what are your thoughts on the album, five months in?
Ted Aguilar:
Yeah, the album came out in October, and the reviews have been stellar—amazing, really. Great reactions from both the press and the fans. It even hit the Billboard charts at 72, and number four in Guitar World, which we’re stoked about.
We’re so happy with how it came out that we’re playing the majority of it live—about seven songs from the new album. After our U.S. tour in October and November, we went straight to Europe for a headlining run. Then we did 70,000 Tons of Metal in January. After that, we did some headliners on the way to meet up with Children of Bodom and Týr for this tour.
Capital Chaos TV:
And I think you’re also doing some headlining shows in between the tour dates?
Ted Aguilar:
Yeah, while Bodom is taking days off, we’re doing some headliners to fill in the gaps. We like to keep busy, and it’s great to do our own production every now and then—run our own show. It’s cool.
Capital Chaos TV:
So you’re basically working with two different sets? Your headlining set would be about twice as long?
Ted Aguilar:
Exactly. On this Bodom tour, we’re doing 45-minute sets. But when we headline, we double that—two different sets.
Capital Chaos TV:
Any favorite songs from the new album, either to play live or just to listen to?
Ted Aguilar:
It changes, but right now my favorite song to play live is “Caster of Shame.” As far as just listening to the album, my favorite is probably the last track, “Territorial Instinct.” We haven’t played it live yet, but I’m hoping we will soon.
Capital Chaos TV:
Are you playing a pretty set-in-stone setlist, or do you mix it up at all?
Ted Aguilar:
It’s pretty set because of the time limit—45 minutes. But the majority is from the new album, so yeah… we’re cramming the new album down people’s throats. [laughs] It’s killer.
Capital Chaos TV:
My partner Zoran wanted me to ask about Warfare D.C.—a band going way back?
Ted Aguilar:
Wow, Zoran remembers that! Warfare D.C. was a band with me, Will Carroll, and my brother Rob. We started it around 1988. Released a few demos, did pretty well in the Bay Area. It was a fun time. It was thrashy, and towards the end it got a little crossover with death metal influences. Good times—we played with a lot of great bands. We even played with Turmoil, which Zoran was in at the time with Ricky, Art, and Rob Castaneda.
Capital Chaos TV:
Are the demos still available anywhere? Online maybe?
Ted Aguilar:
I still have them, but I haven’t converted them to MP3 or anything. Will Carroll has most of that old stuff. We’ve talked about converting them and maybe putting them online someday. We’ll see.
Capital Chaos TV:
Let’s go back a bit—to 2001 when you first joined Death Angel. What were your thoughts going in? How did it come about?
Ted Aguilar:
I’ve been a Death Angel fan since the demo days—“Kill as One.” I saw pretty much every Bay Area show they played in the ’80s: The Ultra-Violence, Frolic, Act III tours. I got to know them over the years. When the band broke up, I got to know the guys even better through the Organization.
Then before Thrash of the Titans, Mark, Rob, and Andy had a band called Swarm. I had a band called Sift. We played a lot of shows together in the Bay. When Death Angel got asked to do Thrash of the Titans, Rob reached out to Gus Pepa—he was in the Philippines at the time—and he respectfully declined. Rob then called me and asked if I wanted to do it. Thirteen years later, I’m still here.
Capital Chaos TV:
Did you think it was just going to be a one-off?
Ted Aguilar:
Yeah, none of us thought it would be more than one show. Death Angel had been inactive for 11 years. It was just for a good cause—for Chuck Billy. But after the first few notes of that set, we all felt it. People missed Death Angel. So we did a few shows, then some festivals, and eventually got a tour offer in Europe. That’s when Nuclear Blast got involved. The rest is history.
Capital Chaos TV:
You mentioned 70,000 Tons of Metal. You’ve done that at least twice now. What was that like?
Ted Aguilar:
It was great. The first one was my favorite—we had all the Bay Area bands: Testament, Exodus, Forbidden, and Death Angel all on one boat. No one knew what to expect. We were just metal bands on a ship with 2,000 fans. It was a blast.
The second time was a little different but still a great experience. My favorite band that time was Carcass. Just being on a ship, in the sun, listening to metal in the middle of the ocean—it’s unforgettable.
Capital Chaos TV:
How have things been since Will and Damien joined the band? Some people say it’s been a rejuvenation.
Ted Aguilar:
It’s been great. It was what we needed. Will and Damien helped us not just as musicians, but in being able to tour more seriously. Back in the Art of Dying and Killing Season days, touring was limited by schedules. Now, with Will and Damien, we’ve been able to cover so much ground.
They brought a new energy. Albums like Relentless Retribution and The Dream Calls for Blood are the kind of records I hoped Death Angel would make—and these guys helped make that happen.
Capital Chaos TV:
How was playing Kirk Hammett’s Fear FestEvil a few weeks ago? And doing encores with him?
Ted Aguilar:
It was amazing. When Kirk asks, you can’t say no. He’s one of the godfathers of Bay Area metal. He’s supported Death Angel from the beginning—he even produced our second demo, Kill as One. The whole event was awesome, from his horror collection to the jam session.
Playing “Trapped Under Ice” with him was a highlight. We recorded that for a Metallica tribute, and it made sense—it’s one of our favorite songs from Ride the Lightning. And then doing “Heaven and Hell” together… that whole day was a blast.
Capital Chaos TV:
Awesome. Last thing—gear. Want to give us your current gear rundown?
Ted Aguilar:
Sure! Right now, I’m using ESP guitars. I have a couple of customs—an all-white one with one volume knob, which Mark nicknamed “Casper.” I also have “Wolfie,” which is wrapped with the Relentless Retribution album art. Both are ESP Eclipse customs.
I also have two standard ESP Eclipse guitars for drop tunings. Rob plays custom Jacksons—his Death Angel model is killer. All guitars have EMG pickups.
I’m a Mesa Boogie guy—love those amps. For effects, Rob and I use MXR pedals: delay, chorus, flanger, EQ, etc. Wireless is Line 6. We use Furman voltage regulators. Rob uses ENGL power amps and cabinets.
Capital Chaos TV:
And what’s next for the band in 2014?
Ted Aguilar:
After the Children of Bodom tour wraps in late March, we’re home for about two weeks. Then we head to Australia and Asia with Kreator—Thailand, Taipei, and the Philippines. After that, we’re working on South America, then heading back to Europe for summer festivals. We’re hoping to set up another tour in the fall. Should be busy all the way through Christmas. Thanks to everyone supporting Death Angel. Big thanks to Capital Chaos TV—you guys are awesome. And shout-out to Zoran—whether with hair or bald, the guy’s solid! Fun fact: he used to be a Guardian Angel!
Watch the full video interview below
Categories: Death Angel, Interviews, Music
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