Since their reunion over a decade ago, Death Angel has been
among the most consistent thrash bands around. All three of their recent albums
feature a few particularly killer thrash tracks, along with some more modernisms
in the remaining simpler songs. By the time “The Dream Calls For Blood”
came around, I was pretty sure of what I was going to get. And though I love
recent Death Angel, luckily for me, I was wrong. “The Dream Calls For Blood”
truly is the fastest, heaviest, and most insane Death Angel album to date
(including “The Ultra-Violence").
The opener, “Left For Dead” sets the tone for the album. It
is driven by a speedy thrash riff, and never really lets up. This track is
actually a bit of a head-scratcher as an opener. The chorus feels disjointed
and doesn’t really click on first listen. Given the strength of the remaining
album, I’m still a bit thrown off by this beginning the record, but rest
assured that after a few listens, “Left For Dead” will become a favourite. After
the opener, the album moves into the three strongest songs. “Son of the
Morning” opens with an old-school Mark Osegueda scream that rivals anything he
does live or on the first record. These shrieks are no longer few and far between, and compliment Death Angel's regained aggression. Once again, these songs all move at
high-speed with no sign of relenting. “The Dream Calls For Blood” is the most
potent of the three, with the catchiest of choruses, and a slower galloping
riff in the bridge that creates a solid groove. Perhaps what is most impressive
is the guitar work Rob Cavestany. He’s always been a respectable shredder, but on “The Dream Calls For Blood”, he rarely restricts himself to a single solo
per song. The title track is the best example of this, but it is apparent all
over the record. Another surprise is in the quality of the bass playing.
Something about thrash in 2013 is really inspiring all of these bass players to
turn it up and find a groove. The aforementioned galloping riff in the title
track shows Damien Sisson wandering into the listener’s ear with a melody of
his own. He generally is not difficult to hear, and makes more than a few
satisfying appearances over the course of the record.
After a vicious start to the record, you would expect things
to slow down, and they do, but only briefly. “Succubus” is a pummeling assault
of heavy riffs in a more mid-tempo fashion, similar to what Death Angel has
been doing on a lot of the three prior albums. Side 2 of the album is largely
similar to the first side, except it is not quite as strong. The fourth song that was
available prior to the release date, “Caster of Shame”, is the highlight of
this half of the album. Regardless, there are no duds on the record, and you’ll
be enjoying it throughout. It is amazing that Death Angel has managed to
reinvent and revitalize themselves at this stage of their career. If you
haven’t followed Death Angel since the first album, now is the time to give
them another shot!
Highlights
"Son of the Morning"
"Fallen"
"The Dream Calls For Blood"
Final Rating
4.5/5 or 90%.