Concert Review: Death Angel, 3 Inches of Blood, Battlecross, Revocation, Diamond Plate

It’s been a very long time since I had the opportunity to catch Death Angel in the splendor of a live setting.  If my memory serves me, it was August 19, 1990. Seven of us piled into some type of small white hatchback never meant for seven people and made our way an hour down the road to Boston, MA to this little dive called The Channel.  I am not sure if this place it still exists and there was nothing particularly exciting about the joint other than Death Angel was playing there.  They were in support of their Act III album and in tow were Forbidden along with two local bands called Cardinal Sin and Candy Striper Death Orgy…the latter was as entertaining as their name, I promise you that.  I believe this may have been the place where I got my first taste of the pit…because, well there wasn’t anywhere else to go; the entire place was a pit.  I also bought my favorite concert tee from that show and had that thing until it fell apart 10 years later.  The only things that remain from that evening are fond memories and a ticket stub which was hand-written from a local music store called Strawberries Records and Tapes.  Yeah, they are out of business now.  All in all, it was highly memorable for many reasons.  So, to see them again after more than two decades was highly anticipated to say the least.  To make the evening even better were some quality opening acts; 3 Inches of Blood, Battlecross, Revocation, Diamond Plate, and local band Artemesis.  Here is my story.

Album Review: Battlecross – War of Will

For such a young band, Battlecross has certainly seen its share of band members come and go.  The latest being drummer Mike Kreger who was around to see the band rise out of the ashes of obscurity to established thrash metal band.  Filling in that role, at least for touring, is Kevin Talley who has played with…just about every band out there at one time or another.  Talley did not record the new drum tracks; Shannon Lucas formerly of All That Remains and The Black Dahlia Murder filled in while in the studio.  War of Will is their third studio album, their second with Metal Blade Records.  To put the bottom line up front, Battelcross gives me hope that the thrash torch will be carried long into the future as this new breed of American Thrash surges.