I really wanted to listen “When Angels Kill”, the new album by American “Fifth Angel”.
The reasons are, first one is that the particular band is made up of very capable musicians and second one is that their previous Album, “The Third Secret” was absolutely a masterpiece.
In Fifth Angel’s fourth album, we have nice classic heavy metal with power bursts and a strong beat.
It doesn’t have the elements that the band had, when they were active in the 80s, because besides there being a long time gap, there are also changes in the lineup.
It is the arrival of Steven Carlson on vocals and Steve Conley (Flotsam and Jetsam), a participating but not permanent member.
As mentioned above, Fifth Angel’s previous album, “The Third Secret”, is also excellent, but with “When Angels Kill”, they go a little higher.
I really like Steven Carlson’s vocals they are loud heavy and have a good range so they can handle demanding compositions.
The guitars here also have the leading role and the most important thing is that while many bands use two guitars, few manage to really hear that both exist there and they are heard complementing each other.
“When Angels Kill” sounds pretty European, I’ll only mention the Malmsteen references and nothing else.
Some nods to Judas Priest (I’ve said I don’t like naming influences) are nicely placed without altering the way they compose.
“Empire of Hate” is the most “American” which is also one of the best tracks on the album.
“Run to the Black” nice guitar track.
“Seven Angels” with the catchy refrain.
The self-titled track was also the single that set us in the mood for what we were going to hear.
“Ashes to Ashes” is the ballad of the record, nice sentimental.
I saw fourteen tracks with a duration of almost an hour and ten minutes and I was sure that it was going to get bogged down somewhere.
On the contrary, “When Angels Kill” flows smoothly and interestingly.
In “When Angels Kill” we won’t find any indifferent track, which testifies to a very good and interesting album.
Produced by Ken Mary and artwork by Ken Mary.
The album was released on June 16, 2023 by Nuclear Blast.
Spyros Tribos
8/10
“When Angels Kill” tracklist:
1. Descent into Darkness 00:59
2. When Angels Kill 04:00
3. Resist the Tyrant 04:48
4. On Wings of Steel 04:43
5. We Are Immortal 04:12
6. Empire of Hate 05:34
7. Run to the Black 04:49
8. Seven Angels 04:36
9. Blinded and Bleeding 04:29
10. Kill the Pain 06:22
11. Five Days to Madness 06:13
12. Ashes to Ashes 06:49
13. The End of Everything 06:36
14. Light the Skies 04:52
total 01:09:02
“When Angels Kill” lineup:
Ken Mary Drums
Ed Archer Guitars
John Macko Bass
Steven Carlson Vocals
Steve Conley Guitars
