Criss Angel (born Christopher N. Sarantakos December 19, 1967 in East Meadow, New York) is an American musician, magician, illusionist, escapologist, stunt performer, and the creator and director of the Criss Angel Mindfreak television series on A&E Network.

Musical career

Criss Angel was in an industrial band called Angeldust, which he started with Klay Scott (now known as Klayton of Celldweller) after Klayton's previous band Circle of Dust broke up. Angeldust released an album called Musical Conjurings from the World of Illusion in 1998 and performed in Madison Square Garden. He has since dropped the name Angeldust and released several more CDs as Criss Angel.

Career as an Illusionist

Angel has been doing his Mindfreak performances since 2001; his television show debuted on July 20, 2005. Yet, his skills showcased on TV were developed through stage magic and conjuring in clubs. He also did a television special in 2003 called Supernatural. His brothers and mother are also regulars on the Mindfreak television series.

Among the stunts Angel has performed for television audiences are: Being towed 80 feet into the air while handcuffed inside a barrel filled with water. The barrel was then released after Angel had taken off the handcuffs and tied himself to a safety rope. He also laid atop a bed of nails and had a Hummer drive on top of him. He often levitates himself and strangers off the street. Also he has been hung from fish hooks in his back and dangled from a helicopter. He has been filmed performing the illusion of walking on water. He has also lit and levitated a light bulb.

Angel won the Merlin Award[1] from the International Magicians Society in 2001, 2004 and now in 2005; he is the only two-time, and three-time winner of that award.

He was named 2005 Magician of the Year by The Academy of Magical Arts (AMA) at a press event at Hollywood’s Magic Castle. [2]

Criss Angel is currently starring in the second season of Mindfreak which is filmed at the Aladdin Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Discography

All of these albums were self-released under APITRAG Records.

• Musical Conjurings from the World of Illusion (1998, as Angeldust)

• System 1 in the Trilogy (2000, has the same tracks as Musical Conjurings from the World of Illusion)
  Featuring Intro Dialogue of Come Alive by Clive Barker.

01. Come Alive

02. Down

03. Fear

04. Thrush

05. Procreation

06. Die For Me

07. Edge of the World

08. Darkest Day (JS)

09. Hate Me

10. Deadlove Calling

11. Do You Know

12. Metamorphosis (Theatrical Score)

13. Forever

• System 2 in the Trilogy (2000)

01. HГјmbodik

02. Phantasm

03. Cocoon

04. Inhuman

05. Enrapture

06. Entranced

07. Metamorphosis

08. Tremor

09. D.A.M.

10. XTC

11. Underground

12. Perelandra.2

• System 3 in the Trilogy (2000)

01. In Two

02. Nexus

03. Copycat

04. Rubber Room

05. Firestorm

06. Revelation

07. Disintegration

08. Epilogue

09. 2<0

10. U

11. Why Me

12. Amixtika

• Mindfreak (2002; intended as a soundtrack for his Mindfreak show)

01. Scarecrow

02. Phantasm

03. Cocoon

04. Enrapture

05. Perelandra.3

06. Delusions

07. Snow

08. In Two

09. Tremor

10. Metamorphosis

11. Revelation

12. Closure

13. Epilogue

14. D.A.M.

All Songs Written, Produced, Arranged, Performed & Mixed by Criss Angel & Klayton.

• Supernatural (2003; Unreleased, exact track listing unavailable; soundtrack for his Supernatural special.)

* Xristos

* HГјmbodik

* Metamorphosis

* Goodbye

* N2 (Supernatural)

* Scarecrow.2

External links

Official web sites

• Official Criss Angel website
• Official Criss Angel Mindfreak website at A&E
• Official Criss Angel MySpace profile

Media

• Forbes biography
• New York Times review

Resources

• Criss Angel at the Internet Movie Database
• Criss Angel at Mymagictricks.net

Fan sites

• Angel Of Illusion
• Mindfreak Connection
• Believe In Angel