Death Angel
Frolic Through the Park

THE REVIEW

Since time immemorial, "innovation" is synonymous with "risk": those who take the trouble and the burden of making changes to their style and/or sound either emerge victorious or come out with a bad taste. The Death Angel were surely aware of this when, with their second work, "Frolic Through The Park" (1988), they took their first steps along the perilous path of musical evolution.

Already the intro of "3rd Floor," the opening track of the album, shows the listener how the Filipino-origin band wants to distance themselves from that concentrate of sonic violence and aggression called "The Ultra-Violence": a gentle chirping and some subdued voices are slowly overshadowed by the first guitar riff, and the show begins. Despite only a year having passed, Death Angel wants to demonstrate they are no longer just five rabid kids who want to smash everything, sacrificing the primal energy of their debut in the name of more elaborate structures (listen to the finale of "Confused"), which we will find in their subsequent albums.

Although it's the whole group that showcases that technical mastery that made them famous, a special mention must be made for the singer Mark Osegueda, who proves to be an excellent "thrash singer." Mind you, "singer," not "screamer": indeed, the beastly screams of the debut are almost entirely set aside (appearing sporadically, as in the Kiss cover "Cold Gin") to make room for a clean singing style always kept under control with expertise. Excellent also is the performance behind the drums by Andy Galeon, who manages to adapt admirably to each song.

"Frolic Through The Park" is a transitional album, commendable for the desire for renewal present in it, which sometimes leads to less convincing episodes (listen to "Bored," a track as fun as it is insubstantial). In conclusion, as a first approach to Death Angel, I strongly recommend the previous work, because with this one, you really risk wrinkling your nose.