Angela Gossow Interview

A few months ago Arch Enemy teamed up with Amnesty International on tour to support the “Expression of Freedom” campaign. Can you tell us a little about the experience and the message behind it? it sounds very interesting

AI is running a campaign called Art4Amnesty, where all kinds of artists with different ethnic, political and social background get involved in actively promoting AI’s human rights messages. We support the ‘Freedom Of Expression’ campaign as the topic is naturally very close to our hearts. We are fortunate to live in a part of the world where we can communicate our thoughts and beliefs without being threatened or punished for it. We want to raise awareness that this freedom is not the norm in other parts of the world. Many artists are being punished by governments for their visual art, music or general message. We hope one day everybody will be able to express themselves freely! AI came along with us on tour in Europe and the US, they had booths and campaigners at our shows, collecting signatures, giving out flyers and recruiting new supporters. The collaboration was very successful and I am proud of our fans and the metal scene to have the courage to get actively involved and practice.. not just preach!

What’s the greatest threat that our society is facing and how would you fix it or fight against it?

The greatest threat is unjust distribution of wealth and food. We will experience serious world hunger and civil wars in the future if we don’t have trigger real changes in the financial, economical and agricultural sector . We got to face some serious catastrophes that lie ahead.

What are your main influences politically speaking?

I call myself a green, liberal anarchist. There’s not one political party I’d really support whole-heartedly in this time and age. To make it to the top you have to compromise your ideals to the point where it turns into a farce. Politics and honesty don’t go well together. I understand there must be basic rules for a society and hurting another person must be punishable.. But right now we live in a web of rules and regulations, half of them don’t even make sense. So I try to find the holes in the web, defend my personal freedom as much as I can. I believe in responsibility for one-self, for others and for the planet. I believe in equal right for all. However, I do not believe in over-governing a society and intruding in people’s personal life affairs.

If you could start a political party from scratch, what 3 main points would you choose to summarize it? 

Fight any discrimination in regards to gender, race, color, age and ethnicity. Religion has to be totally secluded from secular politics and should never play a role again in world affairs. Legalize weed. Haha.

What’s the most outstanding act of heroism that you’ve heard about? (any organization, individual or historical character that might have touched you or inspired you)

It’s the unsung heroes who matter the most, who trigger the biggest changes. Those who go out on the street and demonstrate against their governments.. Who get injured terribly or even lose their lives in their fight for basic human rights. The world is full of such heroes. The people in Syria, Libya, Egypt, Iran, Iraq for example who dare to speak up, who have to face torture, imprisonment and death and do so bravely. The Arab spring has definitely left a mark in the world and in my heart. Their courage is def. very inspiring.

Music and politics are often good allies. Can you tell us a musician or band that could be a proper politician?

Henry Rollins for president . He’s a very dedicated human rights activist and an outstanding artist. He’d be kicking butt in the white house, haha.

We know that you’re vegan. Could you send us a quick recipe to cook a vegan meal? So we can publish it with the interview and encourage our readers to try vegan food.

I like ‘crazy freestyle cooking’. I basically check what I got left in the fridge of freezer and make something out of it. You can never go wrong with: