Death Angel
Archives & Artifacts

THE REVIEW

Tackling a work of such magnitude is truly daunting, indeed we are talking about a box set composed of no less than four discs, featuring the first two albums of the legendary thrash metal band Death Angel, plus a collection of demos and rarities, and finally a DVD with music videos, interviews, and more. As you can see, there is a lot on the table here, and trying to be objective towards a historic band that every good metalhead (I'm not making distinctions between thrasher, death metaller, defender, etc.) respects and knows is not easy at all. Therefore, abandoning any hesitation, I would say it's better to dive into the analysis of this commemorative box set, breaking down the review into the four parts that make up this work, in such a way that it is as harmonious and readable as possible.

Disc 1: contains Death Angel's debut album, "Ultra-Violence," a true concentration of old school Thrash Metal played with the soul, passion, and the desire to obliterate typical of five teenagers who finally have the chance to step out of their garage and show the world what they can do. But besides the violence in this platter, we also have the demonstration of a refined and exquisite technique, expressed through scorching solos, frenzied drumming, and a warm but at the same time absolutely vicious voice. A must-have for your collection.

Disc 2: with the second album, titled "Frolic Through The Park," the music doesn't change, our guys continue to hit hard (amazing Mark Osegueda's scream in the opening track: "3rd Floor") although I noticed a slight slowdown, a more thought-out violence, and a touch of experimentation (see the somewhat "tipsy" pace of "Bored," which superbly manages to put to music such a particular feeling as boredom, spectacular track!). The technique is as exquisite as usual, the tempo changes and solos hold sway just like in the previous episode and are not boring at all. Another masterpiece, although slightly inferior compared to its predecessor, to listen to at least once.

Disc 3: here we are at the first gems of this collection, indeed this CD is entirely composed of demos and rarities (not surprisingly titled "Rarities") and presents us with a band at times a bit raw (example "The Hurt", previously unreleased song), but overall always on top, very interesting is the garage recording of "Frolic Through the Park". In a few words, we are not facing the classic filler that is usually always included in this kind of releases.

Disc 4: here is the last stage of our journey, which is the DVD, perhaps the part that arouses the most curiosity of the entire work. Let's say right away that it’s a bit short, but it contains the excellent videos of "Guilty Of Innocence", "Bored" (both on "Frolic Through The Park") and "Voracious Souls" (from "Ultra-Violence"), as well as interviews from the time showing us a band at the beginning, very young, but with absolutely clear ideas. The video quality is quite good as well as the audio, so I consider it a noteworthy product, especially because it allows the new generations to see these lads in action during their peak period (not that they suck today, by any means!).

In conclusion, truly a nice box set and if you manage to find it, I strongly advise you to make it yours, indeed among the many questionable record releases when you see products like this, it's worth spending a few bucks; Death Angel deserves it!

For completeness, I add the lineup: Mark Osegueda (vocals), Gus Pepa (Guitar), Rob Cavestany (Lead Guitar), Dennis Pepa (Bass), and Andy Galeon (Drums).