By Lisa Burke
October 29th 2016, The Whisky-A-Go-Go, West Hollywood CA: The thrash metal genre has been a top contender as a crowd pleaser for many heavy metal shows for over thirty years and since it doesn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon, it’s best to acknowledge those bands that stand out from a sea of skilled thrashers. On Saturday October 29th 2016 at Whisky-A-Go-Go, Death Angel headlined a show with mostly local openers at the end of ‘The Evil Divide’ tour in support of their latest album, an extensive two-month tour on which they opened for Slayer and Anthrax all around North America. The support acts on this night came from Salems Lott, Exterminate, and Trecelence, among others. The last time I had a chance to see Death Angel was at their last Sunset Strip House Of Blues show and I was absolutely blown away by how exciting they were in that live setting, not to mention they had just put out a fantastic record. In fact, very much opposite to bands like Metallica, they get even better with each new album release and can give at least 95 per cent of all thrash bands a run for their money.
The first band I was in attendance for was Trecelence from the bay area who actually quickly became one of the more refreshing newer thrash bands I’ve seen out there. Most people are of the mindset that skill and talent is all it takes to be in a band and while that is half the uphill battle, it’s still only half the battle. Watching this fairly young group of players I could see the true intent of the performance which was to get their musical vision across to the audience and to enjoy the shit out of the time they were allotted to do so. They had perfect stage presence as well as etiquette where they focused on the structure and delivery of the songs while you stared behind their eyes intrigued by the visually accessible passion for what they were doing. Also, the music was spot on speedy thrash that melted your face with its burning desire. These guys know the meaning of shred and were a joy to watch spread that wealth to an appeased crowd. The vocals had some speed metal and power metal moments in range that worked well with the solid thrash. They also announced their song titles often with a little intro which really helps strangers to get a better understanding of what the band is about as well as it lets them know they are in it for the music and not just to brag that they played a show with Death Angel, as I believe it’s not their first time with them on the bill anyway. I highly recommend giving these guys a listen and supporting them at any upcoming shows that you can.
Next up was another speedy thrasher local LA band called Exterminate who did themselves a slight disfavor by starting off early with a cover of Motörhead’s ‘Ace Of Spades’. They did a good job with it which was a relief, but that song has become the most overplayed cover, yet it seems to be the only one any one can play. Creativity would have been key here and while these guys are a very fun band with a solid skill set I just couldn’t find much outside of the box thinking here and only in that sense did it not resonate more. It was a great set of old school style thrash metal with classic heavy metal vocals in the range of Rob Halford however, which was probably the most special aspect to witness.
Next, the out-of-place downer band of the evening Salems Lott took the stage with their shock metal that has a touch of death and industrial in the mix with the gravelly vocals and dark tones. The weird part is that not only do these guys have the worst rumored reputation in town as far as pulling Alice Cooper parlor tricks such as bringing a real chicken onto stage to murder, or whatever happens to be their fancy for the night, but they are also known for their extreme hair volume, much in the style of ’80s glam metal, yet I found nothing glamorous about them. In fact, the hair silhouettes were the most impressive aspect of their entire set because listening to a completely out-of-key guitar solo without a show-stopping dead chicken was not entertaining to me. They did nothing out of the ordinary except have crazy hair and play out of key. Whatever drug these guys were on perhaps they exceeded the proper dosage and defaulted into a black hole they couldn’t climb out of throughout the whole set.
Finally, it was time for San Francisco’s Death Angel, and there was no moment more perfect than when they descended the stairs to the stage and then immediately thrashed it to pieces in front of my face. They played a varied set list with a good chunk off the last two albums, with ‘The Moth’ being one of the biggest crowd pleasers off ‘The Evil Divide’. The lead vocalist is so captivating on stage and his voice reaches such crystal clear perfection that it becomes almost too good to be true. The whole interworkings of this band intertwine in such a way that there is no way to ever suffer a moment of boredom with these heavy shredders. Ironically the cream of the crop bass player was wearing a Metallica ‘Kill Em’ All’ shirt and it just made me think about how much more skilled this band has become over Metallica. Not only does the drumming surpass Lars by a fortitude of strength and passion, but the bass is actually comparable to the greatness of Cliff Burton as well. Leaving the comparing and contrasting aside though, what really makes Death Angel special is that they bring a unique, specific, and unmistakable style to the table that without a doubt modernizes and accentuates the thrash genre. They are in my opinion still in the peak of their career and I can not wait to see what they tear up and throw at us next.
This was a great show to attend on Halloween weekend because it was the perfect escape from too many hoodlums in costume. The majority was not dressed up even though outside on the strip was a different story entirely as I saw an unusual abundance of giraffes and ninja turtles among other strange costumes, thanks to the next door clubs that have made their presence known in annoying bad musical taste ways. After the Death Angel set, some genius put David Hasselhoff’s song ‘True Survivor’ over the PA and it made me smile. Thrash metal, old and new, is alive and kicking in 2016 and the younger generation is taking it seriously which makes for a happier time spent on earth.
Set List:
01. The Ultra-Violence
02. Evil Priest
03. Claws in So Deep
04. Mistress of Pain
05. Left for Dead
06. Son of the Morning
07. Father of Lies
08. Caster of Shame
09. Thrown to the Wolves
10. Lost
11. Seemingly Endless Time
12. 3rd Floor
13. The Moth