Sharlee D'Angelo
The versatile Swedish bassist who anchors the melodic fury of Arch Enemy while exploring classic rock and stoner metal on the side.
Born 1973 (age 53)·Swedish bassist·Birthday: April 27·Generation X
Biography
Born Charles Ander Bertilsson, Sharlee D'Angelo adopted a name as cool as his bass lines and became a linchpin of the Scandinavian metal scene. His journey began in the gritty world of death metal with bands like Mercyful Fate and Witchery, where he honed a powerful, driving technique. His career, however, found its most prominent stage when he joined Arch Enemy in 2005, providing the rock-solid, melodic low end for the band's ascension to global metal dominance. D'Angelo's musical identity is defined by this versatility. On stage with Arch Enemy, he is a headbanging pillar of aggression. Off stage, he reveals a deep, scholarly love for 70s rock and roll, channeling it through his work with The Night Flight Orchestra and the fuzzy, retro grooves of Spiritual Beggars. This range makes him not just a hired gun, but a true musician's musician, respected for his taste and adaptability as much as his skill.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Sharlee was born in 1973, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Sharlee Was Born
The biggest hits of 1973
#1 Movie
The Exorcist
Best Picture
The Sting
#1 TV Show
All in the Family
Sharlee's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1973Born
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1978Started school
First test-tube baby born
Gas: $0.63/galHome: $35,300Min wage: $2.65/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Shadow Dancing" — Andy GibbBest Picture: The Deer Hunter
1986Became a teenager
Challenger disaster; Chernobyl nuclear meltdown
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $66,600Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"That's What Friends Are For" — Dionne & FriendsBest Picture: Platoon
1989Could drive
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1991Could vote
Soviet Union dissolves; World Wide Web goes public
Gas: $1.14/galHome: $82,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" — Bryan AdamsBest Picture: The Silence of the Lambs
1994Turned 21
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2003Turned 30
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2013Turned 40
Edward Snowden reveals NSA surveillance programs
Gas: $3.53/galHome: $152,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Thrift Shop" — Macklemore & Ryan LewisBest Picture: 12 Years a Slave
2023Turned 50
ChatGPT goes mainstream; Israel-Hamas war begins
Gas: $3.52/galHome: $361,600Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Flowers" — Miley CyrusBest Picture: Oppenheimer
2026Age 53 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Has been the bassist for Arch Enemy since 2005, contributing to their rise as a leading melodic death metal band globally.
- Played on Mercyful Fate's influential reunion album '9' in 1999.
- Is a founding member of the classic rock/AOR project The Night Flight Orchestra, which has released multiple acclaimed albums.
- Has been a member of stoner metal band Spiritual Beggars since 1998, appearing on numerous albums.
Did You Know?
He is a self-taught musician who originally played guitar before switching to bass.
His stage name 'D'Angelo' was inspired by the Italian word for 'angel' and the 70s crime film 'The French Connection.'
He is an avid collector of vintage guitars, basses, and amplifiers.
Before music, he worked as a graphic designer and has created artwork for several bands.
“The bass should be a solid foundation, but it must also have its own voice.”
