Angus McSix

Angus McSix is an international power metal band formed by Swiss singer Thomas Winkler and German producer, vocalist and guitarist Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann. The debut studio album, Angus McSix and the Sword of Power, was released on 21 April 2023 through Napalm Records. The band members each embody a character in the concept story told through this album.

History
Angus McSix was formed in August 2021 after the split of ex-Gloryhammer frontman Thomas Winkler and his fellow musicians. The leader of the German band Orden Ogan, Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann, contacted Winkler with the idea of forming a new power metal supergroup. He suggested Angus McSix as the band's name, in reference to the stage character Angus McFife embodied by him so far. The name arguably reveals the continuation of Winkler's previous stage character, but also indicates with a pun in the band's lyrics that the character has received an upgrade (becoming "one better", as Fife is one letter off Five) and will henceforth persist as a more powerful version of himself. To realize the story and complete the band, the two founders asked the Italian guitarist Thalia Bellazecca (ex-Frozen Crown) on the one hand and Manu Lotter, the former drummer of the band Rhapsody of Fire, on the other.

The quartet recorded the songs written by Winkler and Levermann at Greenman Studios during 2022 and met in Serbia, where they produced two music videos for their first two singles "Master of the Universe" and "Sixcalibur". The first single, "Master of the Universe", is seen by many fans as a dig at Winkler's former band, who had expelled him from the band by email after ten years.

On 21 April 2023, Angus McSix's debut studio album was released under the Napalm Records label, entitled Angus McSix and the Sword of Power. This refers to the content of the song lyrics, which continues the story of the fictional Scottish crown prince Angus McFife XIII after he died a hero's death at the end of the Gloryhammer album last sung by Winkler and now returns from the realm of the dead as a stronger version of himself with the name Angus McSix. The album reached number ten in the German album charts, number 16 in the Swiss album charts and number 26 in the Austrian album charts, making it the most successful debut by a power metal band in those countries. It also reached number 24 in the UK rock and metal charts.

Music style
Angus McSix's style is influenced by both late 1990s power metal and modern disco elements. Others see parallels in their music to Sonata Arctica or Blind Guardian. The vocals are powerful, multi-faceted and clear, and have been described by reviewers as groundbreaking for the genre and compared to Rob Halford or Ronnie James Dio. The structure of the songs are mostly in classic verse form.

Members

 * Thomas Winkler (Angus McSix, Starlord of the Sixtus Stellar System) – vocals
 * Sebastian "Seeb" Levermann (Archdemon Seebulon, The Origin of All Evil) – guitars, bass, backing vocals
 * Thalia Bellazecca (Thalestris, Queen of the Lazer-Amazons of Caledonia) – guitars
 * Manu Lotter (Skaw!, Buff Berserker from the North) – drums

Music videos

 * "Master of the Universe"
 * "Sixcalibur"
 * "Laser-Shooting Dinosaur"
 * "Ride to Hell"