It’s only recently that I’ve gotten familiar with the very name of Death Angel, and while I use the excuse of there being so much that it’s impossible to hear it all as to why I only heard them after they released their last album, there truly is no excuse for being ignorant to such a delicious band. Since their last piece, I dove into each and every record that Death Angel has put out that I could get my hands on, and the quality has always persisted amongst their venomous take on thrash that seems to never wear over time. So, going into “Humanicide”, my expectations were maybe a tad high. Perhaps I was running off that newfound high of mine that Death Angel‘s past work had given me, but, luckily, it’s the entirety of this new effort that delivers what can only be described as an essential Death Angel record.
While the name of Death Angel is one that hasn’t seen nearly enough success that such a quality act should, I feel that makes every one of their releases all the more delicious to hear as even though they’ve achieved a very admirable level of success, it’s hard to not wonder how after so many exceptional albums Death Angel hasn’t gotten more praise. That being said, it’s with each record that they’ve dished out that’s gotten a solid amount of laurels, and “Humanicide” is far from different. From top to bottom, this is a record for the modern era of thrash metal that sounds as though it could feel right at home in the golden years of the genre decades ago as well as fitting right in with today’s current climate.
There isn’t a single moment of “Humanicide” that isn’t a fascinating work of thrash that knows exactly how to pummel, invigorate, and rally as every great thrash record should and Death Angel handles the execution with the skill and expert precision that you could only expect from an act that;s been around as long as these guys have. “Humanicide” is teeming with everything you could ask from a great record of its kind from the blistering speed coupled with a “never stop” attitude, riffs that draw you in further and further into the whirlwind that Death Angel is constantly throwing at us, and having an undeniable and infectious sound that makes you rally into the riot that “Humanicide” always has going on as Death Angel brings the force with fantastic power. And with all that together, this is a heavy-weight album that’s very deserving of being played as loudly as possible across the world.
This year, as any, will surely bring many thrash records that will surely catch the eyes and ears of many for one reason or another, but I implore you to check out Death Angel for I truly believe that this record is one of the apex releases of the style that we’re to get in 2019. “Humanicide” has got it all in excellent style and immaculate quality to not only provide us with fantastic thrash but a reassurance that the magnificent reign of Death Angel is far from over!
“Humanicide” releases on May 31st via Nuclear Blast Records! You can pre-order “Humanicide” here, and stream the single, “The Pack”, via YouTube below.
Track Listing:
1. Humanicide
2. Divine Defector
3. Aggressor
4. I Came For Blood
5. Immortal Behated
6. Alive And Screaming
7. The Pack
8. Ghost of Me
9. Revelation Song
10. Of Rats and Men
11. The Day I Walked Away
