By Brian J. Heaton
270 pages

FIFTH ANGEL is a melodic heavy metal band that originally hailed from Bellevue, Washington, and released a seminal recording in 1986–– their self-titled debut album (originally released on Shrapnel Records, then re-issued later by Epic Records). I consider this one of the first albums to establish the ‘power metal’ genre, in both its themes and lyrics, as well as the performance of the songs. Thus, the album and band hold a special place in my music collection. Fifth Angel stood out to me then, and still stands out now. The band released its sophomore album Time Will Tell in 1989, then was dormant for many years, eventually releasing the excellent albums The Third Secret (2018) and When Angels Kill (2023). Despite only producing those four albums over nearly 40 years, the band has a somewhat complicated history, and the general public never knew the whole story–– that is until now, thanks to super fan and author Brian J. Heaton, who has just published the definitive history of this cult favorite band. Wings of Destiny: The Story of Fifth Angel answers all the questions you may have about what happened to Fifth Angel. Brian became a fan at the ripe old age of 12, (and later even managed the band briefly, and created their first website) and has followed the band’s career closely ever since.

Guitarist Ed Archer provides the foreword of the book, followed by Heaton’s introduction. What follows is a riveting account of the history of the band, beginning with what each of the band members did before they formed Fifth Angel. I was drawn in by the story of the pre-FA band Ridge, and how they well they did in the 1979 Battle of The Bands. (I won’t spoil who they defeated!) You’ll also learn about how the band worked with producers such as Terry Date (before he became a huge name) and former RUSH producer Terry Brown. I was surprised to learn that Fifth Angel’s first live performance didn’t happen until 2010!

Fifth Angel has had many members over the years, and nearly every one of them contributes to this book in some form. Former guitarist James Byrd, former vocalist Ted Pilot, bassist John Macko, guitarist Ethan Brosh, vocalist Steven Carlson drummer Ken Mary, guitarist Ed Archer (and others) all contribute passages or commentary in some form. Heaton touches on Ken Mary’s background and his playing for TKO and several other bands over the years. (Ken has truly played with a “Who’s Who” of rock and roll and metal artists over the years, including Alice Cooper, Flotsam & Jetsam, Giuffria, Chastain, House of Lords and Impellitteri, among many others). There’s a plethora of new information for fans like me, and I can promise you will learn a great deal. As Heaton himself said: “In many ways, Fifth Angel is the definitive ‘what could have been’ tale in heavy metal lore.”

Aesthetically, Wings of Destiny is top-notch. The cover art is perfect, and the design and layout are both well done. There are tons of color photos, and everything a fan would love to see, from images of tour posters and tickets, to album concept artwork and promotional materials– it’s all included here. Everything is laid out in meticulous detail.

Bottom line: Wings of Destiny: The Story of Fifth Angel is a thoroughly entertaining read from cover to cover, because Heaton was tenacious in digging out all the details. He connects all the dots for you, the fan. This book is a real time capsule, and I enjoyed it. In my opinion, it would make a great Christmas gift for the metalhead in your life, so buy now. It is available in three formats: a deluxe hardcover, a standard paperback, and an eBook. Highly recommended!

5.0 Out Of 5.0