Humanicide Death Angel

• 1 Humanicide 05:42
• 2 Divine Defector 03:24
• 3 Aggressor 05:11
• 4 I Came for Blood 03:11
• 5 Immortal Behated 06:08
• 6 Alive and Screaming 03:35
• 7 The Pack 03:32
• 8 Ghost of Me 04:33
• 9 Revelation Song 05:33
• 10 Of Rats and Men 04:08
• 11 The Day I Walked Away 03:28
• Total Runtime 48:25

Info for Humanicide

Ascending from the depths, the almighty DEATH ANGEL return to offer their latest, energy fueled masterpiece: “Humanicide.” A return to the wolves alongside a survivalist pack mentality are what fuel the powerful themes erupting from these fresh metal anthems. In a modern capitalist society where selfishness reigns and communal help and survival are things of the past, Death Angel produces sounds and symbols that point out the truths of attempting to exist safely in the present day. The title itself describes a plain in which humans, after generations of violence, regression, and hate, have finally extinguished themselves into dust. The wasteland they left behind is populated only by those creatures that passionately depend on their pack for survival: The Wolves. Gnashing their teeth and struggling to survive in an abandoned world, the wolves are back and galloping fiercely across the cover of the album. Adorned in the war skins of their enemies and the creatures they’ve killed together in order to survive, the powerful messages of the songs can be seen in Brent Elliott White’s fantastic piece of art.

Much like the beasts on the album cover, the writing process for Death Angel has remained airtight and continued to amplify throughout the years. The fundamental structures of the songs are created, and it’s through the ultimate feel of these vibrations that emotions and lyrics eventually begin to adhere themselves to specific sounds. The songs are then massaged and encouraged until a complete record is conceived. “I have a system as far as songwriting goes,” explains guitarist Rob Cavestany, “I’ve just sort of evolved to what works best for me these days. It starts with riffs and various ideas I’ve compiled as I feel creative here and there, lots of notes; musical, lyrical, conceptual you name it. I start it out, catch a vibe, see what I like, and just start crafting away. By the time I give skeletons of songs to Mark to work on vocals, they’re pretty close to what they’re gonna be. If I really feel strongly about something I’ll write the lyrics to the song. After creating the initial demo of a song at my home studio (Spiderville in Oakland) then I get together with Will to work on beats & grooves and record live drums. Then, record Damien who comes up with most of his own bass lines. After that is when Mark gets the "demo tape" to work out lyrics. All this is part of "pre-production" that I do myself before the producer even hears a note. Then we do it all over again including Ted throwing in some solos of his own. It's an old school process of recording demos as a "rough draft" and making the appropriate improvements on the actual album.” After so many decades in the game, it’s no surprise this band has crafted a songwriting technique that still requires sweat, blood, and tears, but that is entirely efficient. “Absolute trust;” says singer Mark Osegueda, “we’ve grown, and there’s a duality to our respect… we’ve become tighter than ever as writing partners, for sure. There’s a connection with us that just works.”

For the 4th album cycle in a row, Death Angel returned to their producer and friend Jason Suecof of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen of Sterling Sound who added the final touches and brought it all to life. Working closely with Jason throughout every step of it, the band is able to make sure that the finalizing of the music’s sound is closely intertwined with every idea that went into its genesis. “We love the sound he gets. With his style of production and our organic style of thrash... that marriage [is] visceral. He’s very contemporary, but still raw,” explains Osegueda, and “he pulls the heavy out,” Cavestany affirms.

As usual, Death Angel has maintained their throne in the universe of Thrash while still managing to remain progressive in their style. They apply a wide variety of different elements to their music, always pushing to add newness to their sound. This time around they’ve included everything from acoustic bits, to guest musicians, to even(for the first time) the notes of a piano. All 10 songs flow seamlessly yet each leaves its own distinct impression. The first single and title track “Humanicide” triumphantly represents the entirety of the album, immediately energizing the listener. Osegueda remarks: “I wanted to write something that metal fans could really grasp onto. Something dark and intense, that still makes sense. Right now I think it’s so apparent that the earth is in a sickened state.”

The track entitled: “The Pack” flows through with an uplifting mood. It’s positive lyrics are a tribute to Death Angel fans everywhere. With a loyal fanclub of the same name, Cavestany thought it was important to write a song not just for their fans, but for heavy metal and music lovers the worldover. “The song has a very anthemic feel, it’s a fist pumping-festival type of vibe” Cavestany explains. Death Angel, like any artist, are a creative entity with their own particular place in the world, but one of the most momentous influences behind it all is the love and admiration they carry for their fans.

To round it all out the band reflects some of their many inspirations in songs like “I Came For Blood.” Its thrashy, punky, rock n’ roll type of vibe keeps the album’s invincible energy on path to an insanely enjoyable cycle of music. Osegueda explains: “it’s about the power of music and how the right something gives you that feel; that me against the world ideal. You have to be willing to fight for your beliefs, and take no prisoners when pursuing your dreams!”

To say “being busy” is in Death Angel’s future is a grand understatement. With over three decades invested in their substantial career, the band is ripe with vigor and ready to perform their new offerings to the world. North American tours, European tours and festivals, and eventually more records are assured, with the loyalty and solidity of their pack truly unwavering. Death Angel designed “Humanicide” not just for listening pleasure but to awaken the mind and fuel positive ideals. In a world where societal pain is often times too great to stand, the most potent defense we have is to holdfast to our convictions, defend the weak, and open our minds to sensibilities that will be the true key to our survival in this era of the damned.

Death Angel

Death Angel
Not every band can live up to a legacy but every once in a while a group exceeds expectations by pushing boundaries in a genre they've helped create. DEATH ANGEL is one such band and with Killing Season they have raised the bar for themselves as well as maybe even creating a new genre most aptly described as "thrash n' roll". Produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Rush, Velvet Revolver, Shadows Fall, Stone Sour) at Studio 606 in Northridge, CA, this is DEATH ANGEL's most sonically devastating record to date.

Among the youngest bands ever to storm the metal genre, DEATH ANGEL have come to be known as one of the most influential bands to emerge from the thriving Bay Area Thrash Metal Scene in the early 1980s, an era where one could catch Cliff Burton (Metallica) at the front of the stage at Ruthie's Inn banging his head to DEATH ANGEL's inventive style, and speedy, complex arrangements.

In 1986, a DEATH ANGEL demo produced by Kirk Hammett (Metallica) titled Kill As One sparked the interest of Enigma Records. The band was soon signed and the band's debut, The Ultra Violence, was released in 1987. Drummer Andy Galeon was just 14 years old at the time. The album was a full-frontal assault on the ears, buzzing with the group's youthful energy, and The Ultra Violence sold 40,000 copies in just four months. Another innovative recording, Frolic Through the Park, followed, marking DEATH ANGEL's evolution both lyrically and musically. "Bored", another track from the band's second release, highlighted the cutting-edge band's inventive dynamics, and won a spot on MTV's "Headbanger's Ball."

Geffen Records was impressed enough with DEATH ANGEL's television premier to offer the band a deal, and DEATH ANGEL became the first band of their breed to appear on the major label's roster. At Geffen, the band released what is widely regarded as one of the most original and accomplished thrash metal albums ever recorded, Act III. The record pushed the limits of the genre to create something truly unique, a definitive work that is essential to any metal fan's music collection. DEATH ANGEL's masterful songwriting ability was once again on display nationwide in 1990, as the videos for "Seemingly Endless Time" and "Room With a View" saw heavy rotation on MTV.

DEATH ANGEL's world tour between 1986 and 1990 included two sold-out tours of Japan. In fact, nearly every date on the Act III World Tour were sold out to capacity, a remarkable achievement for any band, but particularly stunning for such a young group, not to mention one comprised of cousins.

DEATH ANGEL's trajectory to fame was tragically cut short in 1990, when the band's tour bus crashed in the Arizona desert. Drummer Andy Galeon was critically injured, and would need more than a year to recover. During this downtime, vocalist Mark Osegueda left the band and moved to New York to pursue a life outside of music. The remaining members went on to form The Organization, and released two full-length albums under that name. The "O", as they came to be known, toured extensively throughout the United States and Europe, including two appearances at Holland's famed Dynamo Open Air Festival, a support slot on Rob Halford's Fight tour, and as the main support for a Motorhead tour in Europe.

The "O" disbanded in 1995 and the members split up into various projects. DEATH ANGEL wouldn't resurface again until 2001 to perform at a cancer benefit for frontman Chuck Billy (Testament) called Thrash of the Titans. The response was so great that many offers came quickly in 2002, beginning with a "secret" gig in San Francisco, and sold it out under the pseudo name, "Kill As One."

The next year saw DEATH ANGEL supporting Metallica at the Fillmore in San Francisco as well as supporting Anthrax and Halford in the US. What began as a gathering of positive vibes for a friend turned into a full time mission to continue a journey that began so long ago. In 2004 DEATH ANGEL released their long awaited fourth studio disc, The Art of Dying; on Nuclear Blast Records. A natural progression from Act III; the new album delivered straight Thrash Metal with diverse musicality to rave reviews worldwide. The band hit the road to support T.A.O.D., embarking on an extensive tour with festival appearances in Germany, Belgium, Italy, Finland, Mexico and Japan. The group found themselves sharing the bill with many of their early influences from UFO to Alice In Chains, The Exploited to Guns N' Roses!

Soon the band would start working on material that would become their fifth full length album. Killing Season perfectly combines the sound of their earlier output with a much heavier and refined production.

Guitarist, Rob Cavestany, stated about the concept behind group's newest thrashsterpiece: "[/i]Killing Season[/i], is a true story that has happened before, time and time again, as it is happening at this moment. It's a tale told of tyranny, rebellion and justice. Each song is a reflection of this oppressive situation through the eyes of those affected by it. Driven by greed, the actions of those 'in control.' Inflict irreversible consequences upon innocent victims of power hungry swine! The eventual result is frustration, despair, anger and finally revolution."

"This record speaks of truth and freedom. It also tells of the pain and suffering caused by this brutal reality we're forced to live in. Fueled by angst combined with hope, Killing Season is about to begin!"

This album contains no booklet.