Simon RushworthDeath Angel – The Evil Divide (Nuclear Blast)
Genre: Thrash Metal
Details: Double disc etched white vinyl (side four)/Gatefold sleeve
That Death Angel close this monstrous celebration of magnificent modern thrash metal with the punishing Let The Pieces Fall is deliciously ironic. It’s what the Bay Area legends have always done: never for them a concerted effort to jump aboard the latest bandwagon, a continue at all costs mindset or a desire to chase the impossible dream. Slaves to destiny, Death Angel’s story is one of triumph over adversity and trusting in fate – and it’s all the better for it.
The Evil Divide is the fifth of the band’s post-reformation albums and a faultless set maintains an upward curve of mind-blowing creativity and clinical execution. Who could have imagined that the momentum gained from 2004’s The Art Of Dying would usher in such a sustained period of peerless productivity?
Presented on sparkling white vinyl and set against a foreboding black gatefold sleeve, this essential version of The Evil Divide screams stark contrast and clear division. Standout tracks Father Of Lies and Hatred United/United Hate develop the theme but Death Angel have never been a band content to sit comfortably on the fence. Ensuring their cerebral metal is heard loud and clear, Rob Cavestany and Mark Osegueda continue to divide opinion and spark debate.
‘It’s televised/It’s globalised/Our message is true’ barks the latter on Hatred United/United Hate – if only. The world needs to hear Death Angel more than ever. The ballsy younger brothers of the Big Four have outgrown their Bay Area siblings to such an extent that it’s baffling they don’t command greater respect and perform on far bigger stages. Perhaps it’s not too late.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 10/10 Divide And Conquer