|  |  |  |  |  |  | | | | | | Bio of the Artist | Ill Angelic is a five-piece band based out of Stafford, VA with a style branching from hard rock to epic scores. Their music is a mixture of sweeping melodies, heavy distortion, and a touch of world instrumentation fused together to create a grand portrayal of sorrow and liberation. In 2007 they were selected in a nationwide Bodog Battle of the Bands competition as one of the top 10 best bands in the entire VA, MD, and PA area. They are an underground movement that has been touched upon but not completely heard, they are the ill Angelic.
Background:
The band was originally founded by Jonathan Patton and his two brothers, Joey and Mike. The original name of the band was Adnyn Dree, meaning "the three of them." Out of these beginnings came the song Fly Away and many others that are still played by ill Angelic today. The songwriting of the band is almost entirely attributed to Jon, and so despite the changes in band members, the style and sound has remained consistent. After Joey Patton left to pursue his passion for mechanics, Jon and Mike recruited a new drummer named Breck and a new bassist named Reese. The group began a new journey with this foursome and because they were no longer the three brothers, the band name was changed to ill Angelic.
The first official CD to be released by the band under the name ill Angelic was entitled "The Forgotten Letters." This short EP produced a buzz of excitement within Northern Virginia as it contained a mixture of creatively crafted Reason tracks, heavy sounding guitar work, and beautifully soaring melodies. The songs were written in a unique and honest way, and there was a real quality to the music that begged for repetitive listening. It was only the beginning of where the band was to be headed.
After playing a few more shows, the band recruited Josh Mills as a secondary guitarist to help push the heavy rock roots that made up the foundation of their sound. His addition allowed Jon to craft more complex guitar oriented songs with memorable riffs that would grab people's attention and emotionally latch on to them. The band was beginning to reach a more complete sound in their live performances.
The next few months brought many more followers of the band, and an underground movement was forming. After careful consideration, Jon decided to recruit a new bassist and a new drummer to join the ranks named Matt White and Jason Cizdziel. These new replacement members played an array of different world instruments that added an entirely new feel to the beautifully dark music that Jon was writing.
With this new fivesome, an epic and expansive new album would be recorded named "Shadows of the Past." Every instrument (to include didgeridoo, tabla, native american flute, and oud) was laid down and recorded by this group of five. It was an album including 15 tracks that branched from explosive rock songs to melancholy ballads. It was the essence of the band captured on one single disc... a true revelation of Jon's ingenius understanding of music set to lyrics that came straight from his soul.
Since working on the album, Mike Patton became married to his longtime girlfriend and was relocated forcing the band to look for another keyboardist. Through a friend of Jon's the band found a remarkable talent in Keona Lipkins, a musician well versed in many different genres and styles. Her addition has allowed Jon the freedom to write more complex piano parts and she has quickly adapted to the rock style of the band.
Jason Cizdziel, being only 17 when he joined the band, was soon after accepted to Liberty college leaving another void for the band to fill. After an extended time of searching and using many different temporary fill-ins as drummers for live shows, the band has finally found a more than suitable replacement in Matt Ferraro. Since joining, Matt has become an integral part of the band and has added a whole new dimension to the ill Angelic sound.
With a full album complete and a talented new line-up of musicans, the band is ready to hit the road again and promote the music that has become a movement. The message of hope being brought to the hopeless, redemption for the lost, and an unearthing of the realities that come from living in a fallen world are ready to be revisited... We are a movement.. we are the ill Angelic. | | |
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