Death Angel, Dreams of Damnation Concert
Average Rating: 5 Skulls
Death's Review (5/16/04, The Key Club, Hollywood, CA):
Can you remember the last time Death Angel headlined in Hollywood? Neither can I. That's because it never happened before last Sunday night. Sure, they played the House of Blues down the street last year opening for Halford, but this night was still special. Plus, it was the first time I'd be seeing them since the release of their killer new album, The Art of Dying. I was totally burnt out from partying way too much, but still, I was psyched for this gig. It was going to be on this night, I could tell.
Dreams of Damnation
Photos by HelWe got there in time to see openers Dreams of Damnation, which feature Jim Durkin (ex-Dark Angel) and Loana dP Valencia (ex-Century Media publicist). I'd been meaning to see this band for ages, and they did not disappoint. Shouting out to old-school thrash bands like Exodus and this night's headliners, Death Angel, Dreams of Damnation tore through their own spin on the traditional thrashing fury of yore. Loana is a great frontwoman, sounding like Mille from Kreator but with a better look, as she whipped her hair round and round in windmills and generally tore up the stage. This band may be a bunch of traditionalist, but I like their style. It would be nice to see them develop nationally in the coming months.
Death AngelThen the masters took the stage. Jamming classics old and new, they played like expert musicians yet thrashed like the masters of the mistress of pain. Death Angel started out young, and thus, even fourteen years after their last studio record, they still command the stage with youth and vigor. Highlights of the show included new tracks like opener "Thrown to the Wolves," "5 Steps of Freedom" and "Thicker Than Blood," and classics like "The Ultraviolence," "Third Floor," "Seemingly Endless Time" and "Veil of Decption." It really was a killer night, all told. Death Angel is back, and if you haven't checked out their new material, please do so now.
Hel's Review (5/16/04, The Key Club, Hollywood, CA):
Continuing the streak of Sunday shows in May, this week was Death Angel. Obviously, since I love this band, and love the new album, and love seeing them live, I was going to be at this show. Having missed Dreams of Damnation live on more than one occasion, including opening for Exodus last week, we were determined to get there in time to catch part of their set as well.
Dreams of DamnationWhen we walked through the door, Dreams of Damnation was onstage, so I scurried up to try and snap a few shots of them in action. Loana is a fine thrash metal vocalist, and fills her role as frontwoman extremely well. The band as a whole was tight, and they were clearly very comfortable onstage together. This band has been working extremely hard for quite some time, and things seem to really be coming together for them. I was thrilled that they finally played Hollywood, therefore giving me a better chance to catch their set. The crowd adored them, and I heard many positive comments as I walked through the venue following the set, primarily from people who seemed to be seeing them for the first time. Definitely a great choice to warm up the crowd for Death Angel.
Death AngelHave I mentioned I love Death Angel? Of course I was excited for this show, and I knew it was going to be good, since each of the other times I have seen them have been great. I daresay they set an even higher standard for themselves on this night. Mark jumped off the drum riser so many times, I eventually lost count, and he and the rest of the band moved around the stage constantly. The drumming was phenomenal, as was the musicianship by the rest of the band. I don’t have enough positive adjectives to describe how fantastic this set was. I was disappointed to find when I got home that the smoke that was pumped onstage throughout the set obscured most of my pictures, but that was one small blemish on an otherwise stellar night.
I hope that the rest of the country gets an opportunity to have Death Angel tear through it on tour for this album. If you want them to come to a town near you, go buy the record – it won’t hurt your chances, and you should have it in your collection anyway.
[- Metal Judgment Home -] [- Email Metal Judgment -]
©1999 Metal Judgment. All rights reserved.
