The first time I heard American Angel was on WSOU, Seton Hall University's radio station. I didn't go to the New Jersey school, but the station's signal was so strong that I got it all the way in Queens, NY, a whole state away. Anyway, WSOU dedicated a lot of its air time to local acts from the Tri-state area, and American Angel was a Jersey-based hard rock band that the station played around the clock.
American Angel was signed to a shitty label called Grudge Records, who also put out records by bands like Jersey Dogs, Helix and Ded Engine. In 1989, the label released American Angel's eponymous debut album. The second track on the record, "How Can I Miss You," is fucking fantastic!
While it has a power ballad-esque feel to certain aspects of it, "How Can I Miss You" has a slow-burning groove running through it, making it ideal for both stripper routines and brokenhearted teenage mixtapes. Who am I kidding? I'm pushing 40 and I still crank the song on my way back home from work on a semi-regular basis.
Now for the trivia!
The bassist in American Angel on this song, and the entire first album, was none other than Steve Evetts. You might find his name familiar since he's been one of the most sought-after producers in heavy metal, hardcore and punk for the last couple of decades. The Dillinger Escape Plan, Suicide Silence and The Cure are a few of the artists he's produced during his career to date.
American Angel are still together, albeit without Evetts. They've released an EP and one more studio album in the years since their debut. Worldwide acclaim might have eluded them, but in certain parts of Jersey, American Angel are local heroes.
