Death Angel - The Art of Dying
Nuclear Blast - NB1233CD - 2004
By Paddy Walsh
Death Angel return after a 14 year absence with a new album and new sense of purpose. It's a fairly familiar story now, especially since the so-called 'thrash revival' has been in full swing for a few years, with bands of the old 80's guard cropping up left, right and centre. Some of the new material from these bands has been dire (Destruction) while others have come pretty darn close to matching their past glories (Exodus). Now its Death Angel's turn, a band revered by many, even though they never quite reached the superstar heights of Metallica, Megadeth etc.
And they almost pull it off. The Art of Dying is a somewhat mixed bag, at times it is brilliant, at others somewhat questionable, but it always manages to be enjoyable nonetheless. This being their first work together since 1990's Act III, one would imagine they might have forgotten how to write a good bay area thrash song. But after the obligatory acoustic intro, the mighty 'Thrown to the Wolves' kicks in with some excellent riffwork, pinpoint drumming and Mark Oseguada snarling like a true 80s thrash child, and we're in business.
Strange then, that band have seen fit to make some attempts at 'modernizing' in places with a few sub-Alice in Chains workouts, such as '5 Steps of Freedom' and 'The Devil Incarnate'. I use the word 'sub' loosely, they're actually not bad at all, but to have the focus veering from full on bay area thrash workouts to grunge-isms seems a little odd. Injections of variety are of course always laudable, but it's questionable whether they are favourable in this case. Death Angel seem intent on proving that they aren't one trick ponies, but it doesn't always go so well. Osegueda overstretches himself on 'Land of Blood', and his attempts at aping Layne Staley (R.I.P.) on 'Prophecy' don't sit well at all.
Still, most of the songs here are good, and the ballad-esque closer 'Word to the Wise' is decent, if a little cheesy. Overall this is a worthy release in the now swelling ranks of back-from-the-dead thrash bands.
7/10
Official Death Angel website
Official Nuclear Blast website
Nuclear Blast - NB1233CD - 2004
By Paddy Walsh
Death Angel return after a 14 year absence with a new album and new sense of purpose. It's a fairly familiar story now, especially since the so-called 'thrash revival' has been in full swing for a few years, with bands of the old 80's guard cropping up left, right and centre. Some of the new material from these bands has been dire (Destruction) while others have come pretty darn close to matching their past glories (Exodus). Now its Death Angel's turn, a band revered by many, even though they never quite reached the superstar heights of Metallica, Megadeth etc.
And they almost pull it off. The Art of Dying is a somewhat mixed bag, at times it is brilliant, at others somewhat questionable, but it always manages to be enjoyable nonetheless. This being their first work together since 1990's Act III, one would imagine they might have forgotten how to write a good bay area thrash song. But after the obligatory acoustic intro, the mighty 'Thrown to the Wolves' kicks in with some excellent riffwork, pinpoint drumming and Mark Oseguada snarling like a true 80s thrash child, and we're in business.
Strange then, that band have seen fit to make some attempts at 'modernizing' in places with a few sub-Alice in Chains workouts, such as '5 Steps of Freedom' and 'The Devil Incarnate'. I use the word 'sub' loosely, they're actually not bad at all, but to have the focus veering from full on bay area thrash workouts to grunge-isms seems a little odd. Injections of variety are of course always laudable, but it's questionable whether they are favourable in this case. Death Angel seem intent on proving that they aren't one trick ponies, but it doesn't always go so well. Osegueda overstretches himself on 'Land of Blood', and his attempts at aping Layne Staley (R.I.P.) on 'Prophecy' don't sit well at all.
Still, most of the songs here are good, and the ballad-esque closer 'Word to the Wise' is decent, if a little cheesy. Overall this is a worthy release in the now swelling ranks of back-from-the-dead thrash bands.
7/10
Official Death Angel website
Official Nuclear Blast website
