Fifth Angel's 'When Angels Kill' - Album Review

Until the band's third album The Third Secret (which I reviewed here) was released back in 2018, I am not sure that anyone genuinely expected to hear anything new from the Washington State-based metal band Fifth Angel. After all, with the exception of a handful of reunion shows in 2010 and 2017 at festivals which very much specialise in 1980s US power metal/NWOBHM nostalgia, the band had essentially been dormant since 1990 - following a two-album run that largely went under the radar. I am not exactly sure when I become aware of Fifth Angel, but it was probably around a decade ago. Their, at the time, two albums were not easy to find on CD - but I remember picking up 1989's Time Will Tell not too long after I first heard of them, and I eventually also got their 1986 self-titled debut album a few years later. Having now become quite familiar with both, it is hard to understand why the band did not make more of a name for themselves. I recall reading somewhere that the band never played live during the 1980s, so if that is true then that likely played a part in the band essentially fading into obscurity - but both albums are full of songs of the kind which were very much in vogue in the American traditional metal scene at the time. Comparisons can be made to the likes of Riot and Armored Saint to an extent, but Fifth Angel always felt a bit slicker - with a Dokken-esque sheen making the band's first two albums feel a bit more accessible. The modern incarnation of Fifth Angel feels much heavier, though. Perhaps this is due the absence of original frontman Ted Pilot, whose voice had a distinct smoothness, but it could just be that this is the sphere where the band now want to operate - particularly given modern production techniques and the fact that founding drummer Ken Mary went onto heavier things. The Third Secret upped the heaviness, and it was an album that I listened to a lot around the time that it came out - but, sadly, the line-up which put it together splinted a few months after it came out, with classic era guitarist-turned-vocalist Kendall Bechtel leaving. The band soldiered on, though, and rebuilt around the core of Mary, long-time bassist John Macko, and the returning Ed Archer on guitar - one of the band's founding members and key songwriters. The band, as things stand in 2023, then, consists of the aforementioned three alongside frontman Steven Carlson and guitarist Steve Conley (F5; Flotsam and Jetsam; Tragul) - bringing the band back to its traditional configuration. These are the five behind June's When Angels Kill, the band's fourth album. Given how strong The Third Secret was, I was very much hoping that we would hear more from the band, despite the line-up changes, and When Angels Kill has impressed from the off. It is the band's most ambitious album to date, and it is a lengthy concept albums with spoken word interludes. These additions come across as cheesily as they always do, but it works given the album's overblown nature - but the heaviness of The Third Secret has been retained. Whilst Conley is credited as the album's lead guitarist, Jim Dofka (Habitual Sins) is also credited. It is unclear how the lead guitar work has been shared here, but Conley is a relatively recent addition to the band so it may be that he did not contribute that much. He is credited with co-writing some of the songs, though, so he has clearly had some input - and former guitarist Ethan Brosh has also been credited with some writing, too.

As such, When Angels Kill was clearly recorded during a transitional period for the band - but it still sounds very coherent. I do not get the impression that Dofka was ever a member of the band, and likely was brought in following Brosh's departure to keep recording sessions moving - and regardless of whether he or Conley is soloing the lead guitar work is fiery. The album opens with the brief Descent into Darkness, though, which is an instrumental spoken work piece introducing main character Phoenix (voiced by a former colleague of mine, Scott Tunnix, which was certainly unexpected). I have not really followed the album's story, but it seems to be some kind of dystopian tale with fourth wall-breaking, self-referential elements. Strange stuff, then, but it is the music that matters - and the album's title track soon hits with a bang. Building on Mary's machine gun drumming from the intro, When Angels Kill perfectly sets the tone for what is to come. This is a hard-driving album overall, particularly early on, and the title track is a good representation of much of the material here. Archer's crunchy riffs keep the relatively mid-paced verses ticking along - whilst shredded lead guitar sections regularly raise their heads. The song also introduces Carlson, who does a fantastic job throughout the album. He has the perfect voice for this sort of old-school metal, with enough grit giving his voice a harder edge - whilst still having the warmth to carry the plethora of big chorus hooks. He has a decent amount of range, too, but he does not really let rip that often - which suits the band's no-nonsense heaviness. The chorus here showcases his love of a good hook, and it is one of many big choruses on this album - and it really drags the listener along for the ride from the off with its faster overall pace compared to the rest of the song. There are lots of memorable songs here, but Resist the Tyrant is one of my overall highlights. It is more of a groove-based, mid-paced song overall with lots of strong, crunchy riffing from Archer and punchy drums from Mary. Despite the opening track not exactly being thrash, it was faster overall than this - and the more deliberate pacing here allows the band's heaviness to shine. A neo-classical lead flurry openings things up, too, before a hooky guitar refrain which resurfaces throughout establishes the main groove. Despite the temptation to, the band never really speed up here - and the song is well-served by strong grooves as a result. This hooky guitar refrain is riff, and feels somewhat anthemic - punctuating a fists-in-the-air chorus which features plenty of subtle vocal harmonies. More neo-classical shred fills a brief guitar solo section, which is impressive, but this song is one that shines due to its riffing rather than anything more flashy. On Wings of Steel ups the pace somewhat, and returns to something more hard-driving akin to the album's title track. Of the three songs which have come so far, it is probably the least hooky - but the energy here helps the track to stand out. There is still a decent chorus, but it does not live as long in the brain as some of the others here - but I really like the overall pace of the song and the way that guitar leads are constantly used throughout to add spice to the rhythm guitar tracks. This helps to song to still feel hooky, and Carlson's gruffer overall vocals help to contribute to the song's faster, heavier feel.

We Are Immortal returns to something more anthemic overall, though, and the mid-paced riffy track continues the sound which was established back in 2018 on The Third Secret. Much of this album is faster overall, but We Are Immortal feels very much rooted in the 1980s - albeit with a tough-sounding modern production. It is a very vocal-focused piece, too, which is unsurprising given that it is one of the songs here co-written by Carlson. He shines throughout the album, but this song feels like it was made to really showcase him - and it should be no surprise, then, that the chorus is one of the album's biggest. It is definitely one of the choruses that stood out to me from the off, and the big melodies here are made to be played live. It has some big, shout-along refrains - which are later reprised against just a drum backing to make them stand out even more - and the Accept-like chug of the track with Mary's slower double bass patterns given the song a really pleasing overall feel. Empire of Hate opens with some King Diamond-esque guitar melodies, which establish a slightly different tone from what has been heard up to this point, but soon the song morphs into another pretty fast-paced number with some riffs which border on thrash at times. Whilst Fifth Angel have never been a thrash band, there are moments here which channel some old-school speed - and this is one of the most intense tracks on the album. Despite this pace, though, there is still plenty of classic rock strut to be found, and the chorus is another anthemic moment. The verses feel thrashier, and see Carlson channelling his inner Russell Allen to allow for something heavier, whereas the chorus is more melodic - with chanted hooks and some subtle harmonies. Given the song's pace, the shredded solo really roars out the blocks - injecting a few more neo-classical runs into the album. Run to the Black pulls back on the pace again, going for something more 1980s-esque and strident overall. Despite this, though, I feel that the song lacks some of the hooks of many of the pieces heard up to this point. The chorus, which should feel massive thanks to some decent hooks, for some reason has Carlson's vocals mixed quite low - meaning that the hooks lose some of their power. That being said, though, Carlson still manages to shine during the verses - which feature some of his most unhinged vocals here. There are a few longer screams, which help the song to stand out, so it is a shame that the chorus does not pack the punch that it should. I do not have many criticisms of this album overall, but it is a long one. As such, a track which does not quite hit the mark is going to stand out - and Run to the Black is one which could have been left out without having too much of an impact on the overall flow. Seven Angels ups the quality again, though, even if it does reprise a melodic guitar lead from the previous album for story reasons. It feels quite old-school overall, too, and it is a song which could have appeared on one of the band's 1980s albums quite easily if the production sounded less modern. Carlson sounds a bit more melodic overall, here, and the chorus sees him channelling the smoother style of Pilot somewhat. This helps the song to become one of the album's hookiest overall - and the chorus is a strong melodic rock moment in what is otherwise a pretty hard-driving metal anthem. The hooks here make the song one of the album's strongest in my opinion, and it is a fun look back to the past within the context of a heavier overall album.

Blinded and Bleeding ups the toughness overall, and returns to a pumped-up mid-paced sound akin to the album's title track. This is one of those song which injects some pace into the album, but the chunkiness of the riffing ensures that it retains a traditional metal feel rather than something more thrashy. Comparisons can be made to bands like Metal Church when Fifth Angel write songs in this manner - but Fifth Angel feel more theatrical and majestic overall. There has always been a bit of a progressive metal strain to Fifth Angel, which sets them apart from the meat and potatoes sounds of Metal Church and Armored Saint. This song showcases that despite the crunchy riffing, with the expressive voice of Carlson bringing another big chorus to life - whilst shredded solo sections and lead breaks inject plenty of life. This is another song that focuses more on big riffs, though, hence the comparisons to bands like Metal Church. Kill the Pain slows the pace down quite considerably, but the song is certainly not a true ballad. It feels quite a bit moodier than much of the rest of the album, but there is still plenty of weight to be found - although it does mark a bit of a shift in overall tone which permeates much of the album's final third, leaning on a murkier, more atmospheric sound. There are ballad-esque elements featured throughout, but the crunchy riffing under Carlson's excellent keeps the song from feeling like genuine respite. The piece is certainly more atmospheric, though, with keyboards and strings filling out the mix, whilst Mary's big-sounding drums give the song more of a heaviness than it otherwise would have had. The standout player here, though, is Carlson. He has delivered a lot of excellent vocal performances up to this point, but the more atmospheric approach really allows him to shine - and the chorus in particular brings the best out of him. His more emotional approach shines, whilst a hypnotic guitar lead adds extra depth. Given the overall heaviness of the album, the slower vibes of Kill the Pain are welcome - and help to break up some of the more relentless riffing found elsewhere. Five Days to Madness returns to something more typical of the album, though, with more big riffing, plenty of double bass drumming from Mary, and another hook-laden chorus which is easily the best part of the song. There are lots of songs on this album which have a similar feel to Five Days to Madness, so it perhaps does not stand out as much as it could have. Whilst the chorus is excellent, with a hook that latches on from the off, the rest of the song does not shine as brightly. That being said, though, there is nothing here to dislike. The song has all the hallmarks of the album's best moments, but it is perhaps another victim of the fact that the album is over an hour long. Sometimes less can be more - and I have mentioned a number of times on this blog before how many albums would be significantly improved if they were a bit shorter. This album certainly does not drag as much as some do, and the quality is pretty consistent throughout, but nevertheless a bit more trimming would have likely benefitted. The chorus makes the song worth hearing, as it is another section which showcases how great a fit Carlson is in Fifth Angel, but it is a shame that the rest of the song does not feel quite as strong.

Ashes to Ashes slows the pace again, and opens with some atmospheric clean guitar melodies which Carlson sings over in a much less gruff manner than is typical for him. Whilst there are some heavier sections here, the song feels more like a ballad overall than Kill the Pain. The song is more emotional overall, with soaring strings often overpowering the rest of the band, and Carlson uses this to great effect to showcase his range a bit more. I really like the way he sings the song, and it allows him to do something different. He sounds more like his usual self during some of the heavier sections - but he still sings in a more melodic overall manner throughout - and this suits the song's mood, which even includes some classical guitar runs at times to ensure that the album's use of such melodies can remain even in a more atmospheric setting. Given that the album is nearing the end at this point, slowing things down before the final two songs certainly helps to break up the overall heaviness of much of the material here. The End of Everything retains some of the atmospheric sounds of the previous song, but it fuses it with the album's core sound to create something epic-sounding. As mentioned earlier, Fifth Angel have always had a bit of a progressive metal feel to their material - and this song really mines that seam. The strings that have been used relatively sparingly on the album, and generally only during the slower songs, are utilised well to add plenty of depth - and the soaring chorus is made much larger overall thanks to dancing symphonics. Carlson really lets rip during this chorus, delivering possibly the most overblown moment on the album - but it really works into the context of a song which throws everything at the wall. Piano is used here for depth, even during some of the heavier sections, and as such the song explodes out of the speakers - mixing both the band's love of hard-driving riffs with some of the murkiness which has been utilised during this final third. The album then comes to a close with Light the Skies, which returns to the album's more typical faster-paced sound. The back third or so of the album definitely feels a bit moodier - so Light the Skies feels like the album coming full circle somewhat. The atmospherics which have been featured in the last few songs are largely absent here, and big riffs are once again the order of the day - with Archer laying down another hard-driving flurry of riffs which drive the song from the off. In many ways, then, Light the Skies is the band putting a final full stop on the album after deviating somewhat from their core sound towards the end. This is a final reminder as to where the band are now, with the muscular riffing and throaty vocals of Carlson taking the listener back to the album's opening few numbers. There is another big guitar solo here, too, unsurprisingly - and the song blends a traditional metal feel with thrashy elements perfectly, giving the listener a final kick before the album fades to a close following its lengthy run time. It does feel a little strange given the turn taken during the final third of the album, but the song is powerful and the hooks make it pop. Despite this slight twists at the end, then, the album still feels like a journey. Whilst it could have been improved with a bit of fat trimming, there is nothing here that really jumps out as being of a lesser quality - and the performances throughout from the band are excellent. I like the ambition of the album, and the band have done something here that feels more expansive than their previous three albums - and they seem to have settled on being heavier overall. I really hope that there is more to come from this line-up going forward, but for now there is plenty of material here for Fifth Angel fans to enjoy and truly get their heads around.

The album was released on 16th June 2023 via Nuclear Blast Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Resist the Tyrant.