DEATH ANGEL – Act III [Japan HR-HM 1000 Vol.2 series Ltd Release] (2020)

Universal Music Japan has started some years ago the wonderful campaign ‘HR/HM 1000‘ series, that meaning the reissue of long time out of print albums from their Hard Rock / Heavy Metal catalog at the price of 1000 Yen = about 9 USD.

This one was especially requested by one of plotn08 newest contributors (helping the site has its benefits); from the ”HR-HM 1000 Vol.2 series”, the reissue of DEATH ANGEL‘s third album, 1990’s ”Act III”.
This was the band’s triumphant debut on major label Geffen, and produced & mixed by magician Max Norman it’s DEATH ANGEL most commercial, melodic and accessible album to date. Recorded 1989-1990, DEATH ANGEL updated to times, turning their thrash metal origins into radiable metal, something Megadeth and Metallica would expand a year after.
Listening to this a ”Act III”with headphones is a crazy experience; multi-tracks of guitars are continuously panned between the left / right stereo channels. And this pristine Japanese CD pressing helps a lot.

San Francisco’s precocious Death Angel finally reached musical adulthood (though some band members were still barely old enough to vote) with 1990’s ”Act III”. Their first album to benefit from major-label distribution and a truly top-notch production courtesy of Norman, it also witnessed the continuing development of lead guitarist Rob Cavestany, who literally dominated the album with his impressive chops and superior songwriting.

Coupled with his generally well-thought out lyrics, songs like “A Room With a View,” “The Organization,” and especially first single “Seemingly Endless Time” seemed to confirm the band’s destiny as apparent heirs to intellectual thrashers Anthrax.
Sadly, a number of external (sparse promotional support, the genre’s dwindling popularity) and internal forces (bandmate squabbling) would make this the band’s final album in that era.
What would happened if Death Angel continued together and followed the same musical path of Metallica? They had the skills and a terrific songwriter / player in Cavestany.

This Japanese pressing is pretty awesome in dynamics and it’s really cheap. A Limited Edition well worth the investment.
Killer album

01 – Seemingly Endless Time
02 – Stop
03 – Veil Of Deception
04 – The Organization
05 – Discontinued
06 – A Room With A View
07 – Stagnant
08 – EX-TC
09 – Disturbing The Peace
10 – Falling Asleep

Mark Osegueda – lead vocals
Rob Cavestany – lead guitar, backing vocals, mixing
Gus Pepa – guitar
Dennis Pepa – bass, backing vocals on track 6
Andy Galeon – drums, backing vocals, mixing

turbo real?