Death Angel's 'Humanicide' - Album Review

With many classic thrash acts now content to release albums at a leisurely pace, with the possible exception of Overkill who still churn them out on a regular basis, California's Death Angel have remained pretty prolific - especially since their 2001 reunion. The band's original run from 1982 to 1991 heralded three well-regarded thrash albums, but at the time Death Angel struggled to really find their place in the world. They were always a well-liked band, but they were famously extremely young at the time. It has been reported that teachers would travel with the band on tour to ensure that their school work would not suffer as a result of their extra-curricular activities. A bus crash on the tour to support 1990's Act III, their major label debut, which injured then-drummer Andy Galeon essentially led to the end of the band's original line-up - and put the band out of action for the rest of the 1990s. Since reuniting in 2001 however, Death Angel have been a potent force on the live circuit - and seem to have finally received the recognition that they always deserved. The type of thrash that Death Angel play is pretty pure, and is often uncompromising in its speed and heaviness. There are very few progressive touches or fusions with other genres to be found on the band's albums, with the band choosing instead to focus on razor sharp riffing, high-energy rhythms, and frontman Mark Osegueda's heroic vocals. Age has barely affected his voice and, of all the thrash singers from the 1980s that sill regularly tour, his is possibly the voice that sounds the best. He has a certain grit that is required for the genre, but still has enough of a traditional heavy metal delivery to nail the band's anthemic choruses - which are often influenced by the metal legends of the past. Osegueda and guitarist Rob Cavestany are the only two original members of Death Angel left in the band, but 2019 is actually the tenth anniversary of the band's current configuration. Rhythm guitarist Ted Aguilar has been with the band since their 2001 reunion, and both bassist Damien Sisson and drummer Will Carroll joined the band in 2009. 2019 also saw the release of the band's ninth studio album, Humanicide, which was released back in May to an expectant fanbase. The band's last album, The Evil Divide (which I reviewed here), was released back in 2016 and was generally well-received by the band's fans. I enjoyed the album a lot at the time, but I did not think it was as strong as 2013's The Dream Calls for Blood - which is quite possibly my favourite ever Death Angel album. Anyone who has followed Death Angel's recent work will know exactly what to expect from Humanicide, as it picks up exactly where The Evil Divide left off three years ago. I feel however that this latest effort is a stronger than the 2016 album, with a more concise and anthemic feel present throughout. It has once again been produced by Jason Suecof - someone who the band have been working with for a number of years now.

Humanicide is an album that rarely lets up, with the pace and energy fairly consistent throughout. It is fitting then, that the album's title track - which kicks things off - really embodies this spirit. The opening melodic guitar lead is very reminiscent of the classic metal bands that Death Angel grew up listening to, but when the song's main riff kicks in - the thrashing really starts. Osegueda's lengthy opening scream showcases the strength that he still has in his voice, before he launches into a fast-paced verse with Cavestany and Aguilar laying down tight, choppy rhythms for his low-pitched snarls. Despite a few mid-paced riffs thrown in here and there, this is a song that mostly maintains its fast pace. The verses are classic old school thrash, with plenty of double bass drumming and snarling vocals; with a multi-part chorus consisting of a short mid-paced headbanging section before exploding once again into higher speeds. When articles are published that discuss the best guitarists in the thrash genre, Cavestany is rarely mentioned. That is, of course, a travesty as he displays throughout this album - with this opening track containing a great shredded solo towards the end that is packed full of squealing notes. Divine Defector opens with a strong riff, that has a slight extreme metal feel at times with the odd burst of tremolo picking - but a melodic lead mixed into the background keeps the song firmly in the thrash territory. That being said, this is one of the most in-your-face songs here, with Carroll's drumming really taking no prisoners throughout with the occasional blast beat and endless double bass patterns to keep the song steaming ahead. The extreme speed is only matched by the song's heaviness, with Osegueda often employing a semi-harsh vocal technique, especially during the verses, to give things an evil sound. I like this blend of the band's traditional thrash sound with influences from modern extreme metal - and it suits the band's overall feel. The song is over almost as soon as it begins, and when it finishes it feels as if you have been hit with the sledgehammer! Aggressor opens with a chiming melodic clean guitar line, before taking off into yet another powerful riff that keeps the song moving throughout. Given how fast the previous two songs were however, this song displays a few chances of pace which help to keep things interesting. The verses are somewhat slower, relying on a strong groove which works nicely, before exploding into a gang-vocal heavy chorus that is extremely catchy. This song is probably more musically-diverse than the previous two numbers too, with an almost-atmospheric instrumental break part-way through that sees the heaviness drop away for a moment to leave a hypnotic Sisson bassline and some strange, distant guitar leads - before ramping back up to another tough riff and a shredded guitar solo. It is little touches like this that help keep the album feeling fresh, and this song is one of the stand-out cuts here as a result.

I Came for Blood is the album's main single, so as a result is a straight-up thrash number with a strong chorus and lots of memorable riffs. The song is fast-paced throughout, with verses that see Osegueda really spitting out the vocals with real venom; before an anthemic chorus displays the punk influence that always fed into early thrash. It is the sort of song that is sure to go down well live, with the chorus being latched onto by the crowd and helping Osegueda out with the gang vocal sections. After the more diverse previous number the song feels a little one-dimensional - but it is not a song that needs to be particularly complicated. It is a song that needs to just roar out of the gate with speed and power; and that is exactly what it does! Songs like this are what Death Angel have built their career on, and as a result it was the perfect choice for a single. Immortal Behated opens with some murky clean guitars and some pseudo-Eastern tinged melodies, before the mid-paced verse takes off with it's off-kilter rhythms and quirky groove. This is song that sounds quite different from everything else on the album, with drummer Carroll in particular turning in a stellar performance throughout. The verses here have a very different sound to the band's traditional thrash drive, and it is Carroll's beats and groove that gives them their strange, hypnotic feeling. The rest of the song is more typical of the band, with driving double bass drumming and heavier vocals; but it is never far away from returning to the more groove-orientated arrangement of the verses - which also backs Cavestany's solo. It is good to hear the band experimenting a little with this song, and it helps to give the album a mid-point change of pace; with a gentle piano outro also adding to this. Alive and Screaming returns to the band's more traditional sound however, and interestingly it is the first Death Angel song to be written by Aguilar. Cavestany has pretty much written all of the band's music since their reunion, but this time Aguilar was confident enough to show a song to the group, and it made the album! His opening riff is one of the catchiest on the album in my opinion, and this catchy feeling continues throughout the whole song. Like I Came for Blood this is a fairly basic song, and would have also worked as another single, but is just showcases the band's trademark thrash sound perfectly - with everyone turning in a strong performance. A catchy chorus makes the song memorable, and a couple of melodic guitar solos also help it to stick in the brain. Aguilar's first Death Angel composition is a strong one, and I hope we get to hear more from him on the band's future albums. The Pack is less fast than many of the songs here, and mostly stays around the mid-pace mark for most of its run time - creating strong grooves and using headbanging riffs throughout. This sounds more like a thrash tune from the 1990s, when speed was emphasised less and groove much more important. I feel that Death Angel excel more at the faster songs, but this song still hits the spot nicely. Again it is Carroll's drumming that helps to make the song what it is, with his heavy-handed approach really contributing to the grooves. He has been a faithful servant to Death Angel over the past ten years, and it is great to see him shining on many of this album's songs.

Ghost of Me features a guest in the form of Alexi Laiho (Children of Bodom; Sinergy) who lays down the main guitar solos; but elsewhere the song is more classic Death Angel. A few mid-paced riffs can be found here, but mostly this song ups the pace again and really drives forward with storming riffs and Osegueda screaming vocals. Laiho is one of the best modern shredders and makes his presence felt during the solo section - where he lays down another melodic feast of notes that includes some of his trademark neo-classical runs. He is a different guitarist to Cavestany, so it is interesting to a hear a Death Angel song with a different style of guitar solo. It fits in the song nicely however, and helps it to stand out somewhat as melodically it is not as interesting as many of the other numbers here. Revelation Song is another more mid-paced number, with riffing that seems to be influenced by traditional heavy metal acts rather than other thrashers. The chorus sounds a little like something from a long lost Ronnie James Dio-era Black Sabbath song, and sounds a little more epic than usual - which helps the song to stand out. Overall though, this piece just feels like a tribute to many of the band's heroes and it is fun to hear Death Angel playing in this more traditional style. I would be interested to hear more songs like this from the band in the future, and seeing them showcase more of their traditional heavy metal influences. Of Rats and Men is the album's closing number, and also showcases a slightly different feel while still sticking fairly close to the band's classic thrash sound. The opening seems the song building somewhat slowly around a strident beat, something which is often returns to. This gives the song a bit of a disjointed, staccato feeling - but it actually works surprisingly well. This is mixed in with more fluid moments, including one of the best riffs on the album in my opinion, which adds to that somewhat disjointed feeling. It feels as if the band has attempted to write something a bit more progressive here, but have not quite managed to pull it off successfully. Despite this, as I said, the song still manages to hang together quite well; and the disjointed clash of sounds sounds a bit like a style in its own right - which is good! It comes to an abrupt end, which is appropriate for a thrash album, which is sure the leave fans wanting more. Overall, Humanicide is another strong album from Death Angel that sticks closely to their established template while allowing for a few little deviations here and there. Fans of the band are sure to enjoy this, as well as anyone who enjoys old-fashioned thrash that does what it says on the tin.

The album was released on 31st May 2019 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for I Came for Blood.