Dea Velata

"Going from 440Hz to 432Hz is in line with esoteric ancient Greek music, as well as in ancient Egypt.”

Dea Velata’s music combines the authentic sounds of the ancient world and the raw power of modern technical prog metal. Built around ancient melodies, historical performance techniques, and progressive metal, the band have created a sound that feels both deeply nostalgic yet completely unique and unfamiliar, hailing from an unlikely source.

The project began with former Cro-Mags guitarist Gabby Abularach, whose fascination with ancient Greek music and the relationship between sound and spirituality became the foundation for Dea Velata. After exploring the fundamental musical principles of the ancient world, including the mathematical ideas associated with Pythagoras, he began developing the band’s first material alongside poet Stefano Lossi, who wrote the lyrics for the debut album.

Originally, the project was intended to be a much smaller acoustic collaboration. The turning point came when Gabby began searching for a vocalist who could capture the timeless quality he'd imagined for the music. Through his research, he discovered Angela Hicks, a singer whose background in historical music offered exactly the connection he was looking for.

"Angie immediately jumped out," says Gabby. "A great singer, but also a really nice presence and spirit that seems to transcend time periods."

For Hicks, joining Dea Velata meant fulfilling a musical desire she'd had for years. While her career had focused on historically informed performance, medieval music and choral work, she had always maintained a love for heavier sounds. "This would be the thing that I imagined that I would do, but never thought that it would be a reality," she says. "I always had this little place in my heart for the bands of yore."

Rather than asking her to adopt traditional metal vocal techniques, Dea Velata built around her distinctive voice, creating a contrast between delicate, ancient-sounding passages and moments of overwhelming intensity.

The band’s line-up expanded when bassist Tiggy and Haken drummer Ray Hearne joined through existing connections. Their arrival transformed Dea Velata from an experimental acoustic project into a full band capable of blending atmosphere with heavy grit. Gabby's insistence on using a different frequency is one of the band's most interesting authenticities. He says, "Going from 440Hz to 432Hz is in line with esoteric ancient Greek music, as well as in ancient Egypt. So it’s different music: it’s sound as frequency."

For Dea Velata, these layers are not always consciously chosen and pushed into the composition. The band’s most striking moments often emerge naturally during the creative process, including Angie’s unique vocal harmonics, where Gabby notes that her voice can appear to create layers, sounding like multiple voices at once.

Looking ahead, the band are continuing to explore the relationship between mythology, history and heavy music. Their upcoming plans include new material produced by John Moon at Sensible Music, as well as a music video collaboration with Echo Ensemble, who have worked on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey soundtrack.

Rather than recreating the past, Dea Velata are using it as a gateway to something new. By fusing ancient rituals with modern progressive metal, they've set out to prove that historic music doesn't always belong in the past.

Prog File

LINE-UP: Angela Hicks (Vocals), Gabby Abularach (Guitar), Tiggy (Bass), Ray Hearne (Drums), Stefano Losi (Poet and lyricist)

SOUNDS LIKE: Ancient Greek and medieval influences collide with progressive metal, combining historically informed vocal techniques, ritualistic atmospheres and heavy, modern riffs.

CURRENT RELEASE: 'DEA VELATA' is out now.

WEBSITE: Music | DEA VELATA