Death Angel

Oh man, that first riff of the first song proper, "Thrown to the Wolves” (after the incredibly named "Intro”) is a little slice of thrash heaven the likes of which I haven’t heard in a long time. When the song comes careening to an AC/DC-style close some five or six minutes later, it’s all too clear that Death Angel are back with a freakin’ vengeance. And the chorus of "Thicker Than Blood” is just hilariously perfect thrash, hook and head on a platter, like only these guys can dish up. So yeah, they’re back, following up their third and final release, Act III, from 1990. And like any good dimwit, I was sceptical, but I’ve been proven wrong in such a huge way. There are elements of the band’s technical hyper-thrash at play, but this can’t be The Ultra-Violence Part II; it’s a different time and place, these guys aren’t 14 anymore (man, they’ll never live that down, will they?). So it’s not all balls-out thrash, there are a few slower dirges like the Sabbath/AiC gloom of "The Devil Incarnate,” even a classy ballad closes things off. Vocalist Mark Osegueda has still got it, the high-register vocals intact after all these years, ready to shatter beer glasses worldwide once again. I’m having a hard time finding anything to complain about; even the long playing time suits me just fine. Death Angel have proven the dead can rise, and create a near-perfect thrash album in the process.