Death Angel: Killing Season

Death Angel
Killing Season
Nuclear Blast
2008-02-26

California’s number one intra-related Filipino thrash band (they’re all cousins) returns for their eighth effort. It’s a typical Death Angel outing chock full of deliciously cheesy riffage to match the deliciously cheesy song names — “Sonic Beatdown”, “God vs. God”, “Resurrection Machine” (I think that one’s on loan from the Cult), and the bafflingly titled “Carnival Justice”. I imagine that’s something like the violent hardcore punk act known as “Microphone Justice”, albeit with more greasepaint/cotton candy/airborne disease. Righteous chops abound, although nothing on Killing Season could be singled out as transcendent, devastating, or jaw-dropping. It’s just your basic dose of Golden State metal, complete with clenched-anus vocals and the occasional acoustic guitar fake-out. This sucker’s worthy of a couple spins and a few vigorous goat-throws. Kudos to the cousins for keeping the flame alive and not killing each other in the process.

RATING 6 / 10