Death Angel
Act III

The gurgling of ocean waves, gentle and invincible, carries with it something undefined, perhaps a wreck, perhaps the shadows of the lepers from "Fog," a bottle with an attached message in a bottle. The tension rises but is swiftly calmed. The theater curtain rises for the start of the third act; directly from the sea's waves, violently and rhythmically bursts forth the thrashy sound, with a background scream, and the most violent 20 seconds of the whole album begin: heavy metal in boiling form with drum rolls and machine-gun riffs, leaving no escape. The song "Seemingly Endless Time" is the album's calling card.

They are Death Angel, a thrash metal band from Frisco. These five cousins of Filipino descent released their first demo tape "Heavy Metal Insanity" back in 1983 (singer Mark Osegueda was not yet there), and with the help of Kirk Hammett from Metallica, they released their second demo "Kill As One" in 1986. After debuting with the exhilarating "The Ultra-Violence," an album of technical and fast thrash, well-produced and filled with instrumental delicacies not noticeable on a first distracted listen, they landed on the third full-length "Act III" in April 1990, under the aegis of Geffen Records, passing through the varied "Frolic Through The Park" of 1988.

"Act III" is the album of consecration, characterized by a thrash sound so refined that it seems impossible to categorize it as such. This isn’t relentless, hardcore, or rock-tinged thrash, but thoughtful, devastating thrash, rich in melodic solutions, tempo changes, and gritty yet delicate vocal parts, courtesy of singer Mark Osegueda. If the debut "The Ulta-Violence" emphasized high-technical-speed, and the follow-up "Frolic Through The Park" highlighted a certain experimentation and contamination with various genres (see the thrash-funk of "Bored"), this "Act III" shuffles the deck once again and bets everything on great compositional variety, as evidenced by delicate semi-acoustic ballads like "A Room With A View", filled with emotionally charged choral vocals, and the delicate "Veil Of Deception". The latter would have been a fitting soundtrack for the old Bruce Lee movie "The Way of the Dragon," regarding the vicissitudes of Chen Ching Hua’s restaurant in Rome, eyed by the local mafia, as the voices are perceived as gentle and melancholic. One instantly thinks of the proud gazes of the five thrashers on the back cover of "The Ultra-Violence".

Guitarists Gus Pepa and Rob Cavestany (the band's brain) converse perfectly, with the latter especially able to extract solos from his six-string with even bluesy structure, never insane or shrill, but considered, carefully placed in the tracks. The phrasing is continuous, like in "Stop," which is like a roller-coaster ride from the overwhelming start: drum rolls, memorable refrains, guitars advancing like an army of unleashed Predators. Cavestany doesn’t know what tricks to invent during the verses. Tempo changes and distortion polkas, sounds that review the entire history of heavy metal just as Galeon’s acceleration demands to be followed. This is thrash rising to the heavens, refusing speed at all costs, embracing harmony and merging it with energetic riffs, combining instrumental virtuosity with the direct riff's force (bringing to mind Megadeth's earthquaking and varied "Rust In Peace," or the courageous Re-Animator’s experimental "Laughing"). A special mention for Mark Osegueda's voice, never shrill or falsetto, always well integrated into the songs, cleverly supported by the backing vocals from other group members, all undoubtedly tight-knit. There isn’t a moment of faltering here. "The Organization" (the future band name Death Angel will use after Mark Osegueda's departure) is an example of stops and starts, rhythmic parking, and distorted solo bursts highlighted by Max Norman’s excellent production, and the great drum work of the much under-appreciated Andy Galeon, who, along with bassist Dennis Pepa, forms one of the best rhythm tandems of those years.

Death Angel’s thrash changes skin once more in the funky "Discontinued," with slap bass and rhythmic escapades from the four instrumentalists, who reveal here the enthusiasm of having found their true dimension. Once again, the choral voices harmonize perfectly with Mark, there are no time or space limitations to where you can listen to this music, as the guitars and the range of sounds produced highlight any of our emotions. In the bar, at the mall, strolling in the park, we might have any melody stuck in our heads, unable to shake it off; it could be the evocative "Stagnant" with its relentless and cadenced movement ("never moving never changing"). After daring throughout the album, the band catches a breath with "Ex-Tc", a good but not irresistible song preceding the thrash outburst "Disturbing The Peace," a bit self-celebratory, but we understand that it’s impossible to maintain a stellar compositional level for 10 tracks. The initial chant of the tenth track "Falling Asleep" decisively closes an album: thrash flexing its muscles, almost as a reminder that Death Angel is a band with solid metal roots.

The band participates in the thrash epic without complacency, no mascots, no political slogans. Their commitment is in the music, in the compositional search. They aren't pioneers, but their sound and instrumental technique pointed out a new path for the thrash movement, also tread by Forbidden and Heathen with different principles, but always in the name of compositional skill.

"Act III" is a timeless album, never banal in its arrangements, with at least 7 high-level tracks, the result of the enthusiasm of five guys who, in three years, play what bands take 20 years of career to put together. After this record, singer Mark Osegueda leaves the band, which reorganizes under the moniker The Organization with Rob Cavestany on vocals. Another incredible story to tell.