JULY 13th 2022
ANGELS ON THE BATTLEFIELD
EXCLUSIVE

Metaltitans Metal Mom Rita got the chance to chat with the Epic Instrumental Metal Band who is helping to fight stigma Against Mental Illness, (AOTB) Angels on the Battlefield.
We get the opportunity to chat with all the members today, guitarist JD McGibney, Jason Klein, William Lierman, and keyboardist Chris Wirsig.

Have you heard of Angels on the Battlefield? Well here is something to know about them:
Angels on the Battlefield is an epic instrumental metal band that encourages self reflection with the intention of finding inner confidence in order to remind people that, no matter what, they have the ability to conquer their literal and metaphorical battlefields. Through the power of music and the community of live performance, Angels on the Battlefield encourages audiences to share their experiences and feelings without fear of being ostracized.

The band was formed by JamPlay instructor and ex-Voodoo Kungfu guitarist JD McGibney as an artistic outlet to battle his own anxiety. Ex-Butcher Babies bassist Jason Klein, Northwind Wolves drummer William Lierman, and film/tv composer and no:carrier Keyboardist Chris Wirsig have recently joined the project. Having built friendships with each individual throughout his career in the music industry, JD invited these highly talented and equally compassionate individuals to join Angels on the Battlefield in an effort to actively give back to the world through a medium that has come to mean so much to all four musicians.

Angels on the Battlefield is currently partnered with The You Rock Foundation to help the organization as they continue to pull those suffering out of the dark and show them the possibilities of moving forward with life. Angels on the Battlefield firmly believes that, no matter what, we all have the strength to conquer our battlefields.

A little bit about the man behind the band JD:
JD McGibney is a warrior guitarist that conquers his battlefields on the wings of dragons. Uniting with the forces of like minded individuals, he fights to strengthen worldly brotherhood and lays his experiences bare for others to see the power of one's trials and tribulations.
With a humble beginning on Long Island, New York, JD McGibney developed a strong bond with playing guitar. He found that the anxiety and inner turmoil growing within him throughout adolescence was kept at bay with the power of music.

This act of self discovery began his mission to help others conquer their own inner demons. Through his candid transparency JD McGibney uses the communal bonding power of music and entertainment to remind people that no matter what their struggle, they are never alone.
From the first moment he stepped on stage as a teenager, JD McGibney was drawn to the connection he found people developed over their love of art. He made a promise to himself to get involved with as many opportunities to continue bringing this community together to strengthen their unity.

Experiencing first hand the power of inspiration and encouragement, JD McGibney goes out of his way to encourage people to take that next first step they might be afraid to take in their lives. Sharing his own personal process, JD lives transparently to show others the possibility of the impossible.

Some history on Jason:
Jason Klein was born and raised in Long Beach, California. From an early age, he fell in love with music when he saw Michael J. Fox pick up an axe to save the day in Back to the Future. He initially started his performance journey by following in his older brothers’ footsteps by picking up guitar and joining local bands during his teenage years.

As his intimacy with music grew, Jason eventually picked up the bass. He dove into the music of Rush, and came to look up to drummer Niel Peart for his candor and level headed nature. Jason came to appreciate the intricacies needed to create music and the sense of community it built, not only between band members, but between artists and their audiences. In Los Angeles, Jason was introduced to singer Carla Harvey through their then mutual friend Chris Warner at a show at the legendary House of Blues in Hollywood. He would go on to join Carla and become an integral member of the band Butcher Babies for a decade. He eventually left to focus on his family and raising his daughter.

After two years away from the music industry, Jason slowly found himself drifting back towards the magic. He started doing some recordings for friends and local bands in the Los Angeles area before joining heavy metal band Angels on the Battlefield. Having met guitarist JD McGibney while Butcher Babies was on tour with Nekrogoblikon, the tour developed a friendship that eventually led to them partnering.

Something about William:
William Liermann grew up on the Mississippi gulf coast, and was first introduced to music by his father. Being bestowed headphones and drumsticks at the age of five, William began his musical journey by learning the basics while listening to legendary bands such as Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, and Grand Funk Railroad. At the age of thirteen, William got his first drum kit and joined his school marching band. He began to explore the expansive world of music on his own and quickly fell into the realm of heavy metal, becoming heavily influenced by bands such as Metallica, Carcass, Sepultura, then later Opeth, Meshuggah, Soilwork, Dimmu Borgir, among many other European metal bands.

During his years in marching band, he was drum captain for eight. In this time he also started performing in a punk band, a death metal band, and a jazz ensemble. After college, William got his first taste of touring when he joined the band Winterset, as they regularly toured the southeast on their own for about 3 years. When Winterset disbanded, William made his way to Los Angeles and answered an ad for a band called Ayin Aleph. Shortly after, the band ended up on a European tour supporting Samael. He eventually went on to play with bands such as Oustium, Desecrate, and more notably with Chinese folk metal band, Voodoo Kungfu. He has toured throughout the United States, Europe, and China multiple times.

More recently, William is recording the third album to be released by Northwind Wolves, and is preparing a live show with Dynasty of Darkness.

Now for something to know about Chris:
Chris Wirsig is an award-winning composer, songwriter and producer. He is classically trained on piano and saxophone, and started his career by forming the acclaimed Electro Pop/DarkWave band no:carrier in 1995. He later went on to form the Electronica/Chill-Out project Virtual Conformity in 2001. In the late 1990s, Chris attended SAE Technology College to study audio engineering.

After his time at SAE, Chris worked as editor for the musician & tech magazines “KEYS” and “Studio Post Pro.” He then went on to found the first German fair-trade record label, NovaTune.
Over the years, Chris has come to work with multiple bands, musicians, artists, and has gone on to compose and produce music for countless projects that include the acclaimed iPad game “Alien Tribe 2,” the multiple award-winning short movies “Intervention,” “20 Matches,” “Cat Dexx: Inkosi,” and “Trick Of The Old Cat,” the comedy feature film “39 And A Half,” and in numerous TV shows on ABC, E!, and MTV.

In 2020, amidst the height of the worldwide protests and lockdowns, Chris put together and orchestrated the charity project Rising Voices, which released an orchestral cover of Depeche Mode’s “People Are People.” The project featured thirty-six musicians and singers, and raised funds for several organizations fighting for justice and equality. Chris is also a Grammy Voting Member, as well as a member of the Production Music Association, and served as the SCL’s LA administrator for two years.

Now that we have all had our history lesson on the band and it's members, let's do this interview:

MT: We have done a few interviews with you now, but we haven't really touched based on how AOTB is fighting the stigma around Mental Illness. What inspired the band to adopt that mission?

JD: That's a really good question. Angels on the Battlefield started a few years ago as a passion project for me; a way for me to just express myself. Music has always been a kind of saving grace for me in my own struggles with anxiety. When I finally decided to focus on making AOTB a priority, and start treating it like an actual business, it seemed clear to me that the reason I started the project needed to be adopted as its overall mission. We all struggle at some point, with something, or even multiple things. Music has a magic about it that can help us through a lot, so I took the thing that helped me stay grounded and decided to use it to help others.

MT: How do YOU relate to this mission personally?

JD: There have been so many moments in my life, more than I'd like to admit to, that I've felt alone, isolated, and even unworthy. It felt absolutely horrible, and I don't think anyone should ever have to feel those things. The truth is that we are never truly alone, and each and every single one of us is worthy of love and acceptance.

JASON: Having gone through bouts of anger and depression in the past, I feel I can offer a beacon of hope to someone whom is struggling.

WILLIAM: I’ve dealt with tons of loss (coming from a big family), depression and anxiety through life, and struggle with depersonalization.

CHRIS: Over the years, I experienced growing anxiety, and only later learned what it exactly is and how it affects me. I think in our day and age many people deal with anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues. Some are barely affected, others heavily. But we need to educate people better about it, give them resources to learn about these issues, and easily get help when needed.

MT: I know that you're also working on a song to help raise funds for the You Rock Foundation. Can you tell us a little bit about this project?

JD: Of course! Since Jason, Chris, and William recently joined, I wanted us to all work on something as a group and get used to working with one another. I thought it would be a fun project to take one of the already released songs I wrote on my own, and have them re-imagine it with their individual flair! We picked the song “Modern Prometheus,” which I was inspired to write by Mary Shelley's classic novel “Frankenstein.” To me, the story reminded me of similarities with my own anxiety. Victor Frankenstein becomes so hyper focused on unlocking the secrets of life and death, and fails to contemplate and understand the actual consequences of his actions. In doing so, he is unprepared for what he actually achieves, and those around him are ultimately affected by his actions.

I also felt it was appropriate to work with the You Rock Foundation on this project, since we recently partnered up. When the song is finally released, we will be donating a portion of the royalties to You Rock in order to help them in their mission to aid those in need with their mental health.

MT: When you're having a particularly rough day, how do you pull yourself back out?

JD: There are a few ways I've come to pull myself back to a level base line. My first go to is always music; whether I am listening to it, playing guitar, or writing music. Most of the time this helps me out. I also enjoy cooking; I find it very meditative to bring a dish together, and then get to enjoy a delicious reward at the end. If I'm having a REALLY tough time and I find it hard to think, I enjoy watching some TV shows, or even just going for a walk. And, of course, I see a therapist once a week. That has really helped me out by giving myself a way to hold myself accountable for my feelings and actions, and allows me to process things in a heathy manner and grow as an individual.

JASON: Thinking positive rather than negative. Adopting a good exercise routine has been a great way to release endorphins and combat stress and negative emotions.

WILLIAM: Have some tea, rest with my animals, play metal.

CHRIS: A workout always helps, and some Yoga or meditation might do the trick too – especially when I need to calm my mind, which often enough acts like the “monkey brain” they use as an analogy in meditation classes. It really often helps to do just a quick breathing exercise.

MT: What is next for Angels on the Battlefield?

JD: At the moment, we're in the middle of planning an industry showcase to highlight the stage show aspect of the project. I'm also going to be speaking at the This Is My Brave mental health fundraiser show, and the band will be performing, on September 25th in Santa Monica.

MT: Must be a nice feeling to be able to perform in front of people again?

JD: It feels AMAZING to finally be able to be around other people in general. The last two years definitely weighed heavier on me than I had realized. The first social event I went to felt like going to college for the first time again.

CHRIS: My last public performance was years ago, so I don’t even really know any more how it feels ;)

MT: How did you keep yourselves busy during the pandemic?

JD: Honestly, the pandemic lead to a lot of introspection and self growth. Being forced to be in my own head so much forced me to face a lot of things I was afraid of, and even some things I wasn't even aware of consciously.

JASON: Writing music and recording bass tracks for various projects in my home studio.

WILLIAM: Lived life, learned recording/drum software and started writing an album.

CHRIS: Luckily for me I kept busy with different musical projects – from some indie film scores, to music for TV, and co-writing songs with other writers and artists. Only last year the songwriting got back into my life more, and I have a new-found joy in producing edgy pop music…

MT: I have always been curious, but how do you write songs? What is that process like for you?

JD: For me, I tend to find inspiration from different places, but the overall beginning process of physically writing is usually the same. Most of the time I clear my head, and kind of let my fingers start moving where they seem to naturally want to along the fretboard. Slowly (or sometimes quickly) a song starts to pull itself together.

CHRIS: In AOTB at the moment I come in and just add stuff like strings, brass or other unusual elements to the songs. JD’s tracks are already pretty much finished songs, so we’re trying to give them a little extra, some highlights or gimmicks.

MT: What was your very first concert you ever went to?

JD: My very first concert EVER was Ozzfest 2004 at Jones Beach on Long Island, NY.

JASON: AC/DC Ballbreaker Tour 1996. Also the loudest concert.

WILLIAM: Lynyrd Skynyrd, or Smashing Pumpkins Siamese dream tour 1993 (this one counts more because it was without parents) I was in 8th grade.

CHRIS: Ha, that was an Austrian satirical Rock band, back in the 80’s.

MT: What was the last concert you went to?

JD: The last concert I went to was actually a classical concert! I went and saw Gustavo Dudamel conduct Igor Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring at Disney Hall in Downtown Los Angeles.

WILLIAM: I think it was a perfect circle at the Hollywood bowl, unless you count my own shows/concerts.

CHRIS: I realize that I haven’t been at a concert in a while (thanks a lot, Covid…). I think it might have been Brian Wilson playing the full “Pet Sounds” album. He had a really young band, and they rocked the place. I also never realized how dark most of the songs on that album are.

MT: Next concert you plan on going to?

JD: At the moment I didn't actually have any concerts I was planning on going to, surprisingly.

WILLIAM: Epica with Sabaton, or Rammstein, can’t remember which one’s first.

CHRIS: Probably John Williams annual gig at the Hollywood Bowl.


MT: What was your favorite concert?

JD: That is a hard one. Seeing Black Sabbath at Ozzfest 2004 was life changing, and that concert got me into heavy metal. Seeing Killswitch Engage perform their album “Alive or Just Breathing” in its entirety on an anniversary tour was also amazing because that is the album that made me want to play music professionally for the rest of my life. And seeing Meshuggah perform live was just the most impressive thing I've ever seen a band do.

JASON: Pantera 1997 at the Hollywood palladium. That’s the show that made me want to play Metal music.

WILLIAM: Probably Eluveitie, or Opeth(25th anniversary tour).

CHRIS: Kraftwerk in 1992 (or was it ’93?), Tangerine Dream in 2014, Apocalyptica/SixxAM in 2015.

MT: What band or artist have you seen most?

JD: I think the band I've seen most MIGHT be Lamb of God, just because they have been on tour packages with a bunch of other bands I've also wanted to see.

WILLIAM: Probably Meshuggah.

CHRIS: I guess that’s Jean-Michel Jarre.

MT: Best concert venue you've ever performed at?


JD: I think my FAVORITE venue I've ever performed at so far might be the House of Blues in Chicago. Not only was the venue beautiful and impressive, but the staff was super friendly and they fed us homemade tacos.

JASON: Palladium in Worcester Pennsylvania, most energetic crowds.

WILLIAM: Z7 in Pratteln, or Festival-wise, Midi festivals in Shenzhen or Shanghai.

CHRIS: I loved the coziness of the Viper Room in LA. But then there also was this huge ballroom in Moscow.

MT: Who have you 'not' seen perform live but want to?

JD: I would absolutely have loved to see Pantera live.

WILLIAM: Well, Epica has been one for a while, and Nightwish.

CHRIS: Too many… ;)

MT: Tell us something we should know about AOTB?

JD: We're all very quiet at first until we get comfortable, and then we're regular chatter boxes.

MT: Is there anything you regret about being in a band?

JD: This is another really good question. I used to have feelings of regret about a lot of things,and being in a band professionally isn't an easy choice. I'd say my biggest regret about being in a band was not fully believing in myself early on. I feel like not having that full confidence right out of the gate made things more difficult than they needed to be.

WILLIAM: Not at all, only not moving to LA sooner.

CHRIS: I don’t think so. With some bands or projects it’s just hard to get everyone’s schedule coordinated. Nothing to regret, though.

MT: Just want to say thank you for doing this interview with us here at Metaltitans, always great to work with nice people.

ANGELS ON THE BATTLEFIELD

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngelsOnTheBattlefieldBand
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6vQV1dRMKNBHCRku2IsPMU?si=svySgUZEQji9QxaaLCaCAg
Official:  http://www.OnTheWingsOfDragons.com/