Simon RushworthDeath Angel – The Bay Calls For Blood (Nuclear Blast)
Genre: Thrash Metal
When 2013’s The Dream Calls For Blood bagged a fully deserved RUSHONROCK RATED: 10/10 it was clear Death Angel were riding the crest of a creative wave.
If rolling out a live album to complement that outstanding record was hardly a surprise then the quality here might well be. It’s all very well producing a pin-sharp, note perfect slice of essential modern thrash metal in the studio but replicating that sound and passion in front of an expectant home crowd? That’s another challenge altogether.
Of course the Bay Area heroes were never going to bottle this San Francisco shindig and it’s a rabble rousing celebration of a 33-year career dedicated to doing things the heavy way. Significantly the band’s most recent material is more than a match for 2008’s Buried Alive and the brilliant Truce (2010): Left For Dead sounded great on record but it marks a thunderous opening to a thrilling set.
Traditionalists will bemoan the lack of classic material but this live collection is a testimony to Death Angel’s comeback years and provides proof, if any were really needed, that the Big Four’s little brothers have no need to trade on former glories.
Examples of 80s revivalists are ten a penny in 2015 but those bands that continue to refresh their back catalogue and stretch their creative boundaries continue to be the most relevant. Count Death Angel amongst that number. Simon Rushworth
RUSHONROCK RATED: 9/10 Bloodlust