Archangel A.D. – Casus Belli

Self released   Release: 23 July 2021

Archangel A.D. have been around since 2015 and after their debut EP Warband 2018, the Texans decided to record and self-release this album. The opening track Bet On Death is still clearly influenced by Motörhead, but the sound generally focuses on classic Bay Area Thrash – i.e. early Metallica, Exodus, Anthrax etc. After some high-speed attacks, The Beacons are Lit is something for Tolkien fans with a groovy-melodic chorus, where in the middle it’s like the riders of Rohan gallopping along 😉 If you had been expecting an old-school Thrash album, you’ll be surprised by the melancholic bass solo Pluto’s Lament.

Then Sangre de las Montañas (Blood of the Mountains) then brings an unexpected change of mood with energetic Flamenco guitar rhythms and vocal harmonies with Spanish lyrics. Also in the following, initially quite heavy and doomy Demonolith, there are a few folk elements (bass runs). In my opinion, the guys should do this more frequently to add their own trademark to their classic Thrash.

Door to the Moon towards the end, however, sounds as if a track by another band – playing pop-jazz metal – had accidentally ended up on this album. The closing track The Coming of The West Wind mixes thrash, speed, growls, death/black metal, elegiac parts with clear vocals a la Pink Floyd.

Conclusion: Thrash fans can’t go wrong here, an indeed diverse album. However, the band should perhaps develop a specific style out of their diverse elemtents instead of creating a loose collection of contrasting songs.

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