Death Angel @ Billboard,Melbourne (11/03/09)

Thu 12th Mar, 2009 in Gig Reviews

I’m staring at a blank screen trying to think of the words to collate to describe the Death Angel gig at Melbourne’s Billboard. And I am seriously struggling. To say that was a monumental performance is kinda selling it all short. This was one out of the box and I wish one could have properly captured the energy, ferocity and sheer power and force that was pouring from the stage – and on the audience floor.

This was vintage thrash metal in its absolute purest form. Unadulterated. Pure. And delivered from a band who were there in the genre’s inception. Death Angel were sublime last night.

The band who formed in San Francisco in the early 80s delivered some classic albums between the years 1987 and 1990 – but it was 1990s brilliant and masterful Act III which blew audiences away. (And still does to this day!) But let’s not focus on the historical aspects of this band but let’s get back on track to the gig…

Lead singer Mark Osegueda at several points during the show acknowledged the animalistic crowd. The band were clearly blown away at the reception they were receiving and seemed somewhat bewildered that a city so far away from their home and a city they have never played in – could be so welcoming and utterly crazy. The crowd lapped it up. The pit was ferocious. Crowd surfing was rampant and Death Angel delivered a set that was as tight as I have ever heard from a band, in over 20 years of yours truly going to gigs. This was a well drilled killing machine with magnificent playing that was both powerful and precision tight!

There aren’t many bands on this planet that wouldn’t have been blown away last night. Openers Armored Saint came off rather bland and tame compared to the Death Angel onslaught. Although they put in a fine set of classic tunes from their repertoire, they couldn’t compete with what transpired last night. Not-even-close!