Killing Season

Death Angel | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 26, 2008)
• Original Release Date: 2008
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Nuclear Blast Americ
• ASIN: B0012E6R5U
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (32 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #42,119 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

The time has never been better for thrash metal bands like Death Angel. This limited CD/DVD(PAL) import version contains the new album plus a bonus DVD showing Death Angel tearing it up live in France in 2003. Welcome to the slaughter. It's Killing Season. 2008. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars My Thoughts on Killing Season, February 27, 2008

By 

J. Carter "A Gaming Dad" (Miami, FL United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Killing Season (Audio CD)

Death Angel is back after a four-year hiatus to kick the living snot out of bands three-quarters their age. Sounding incredibly revitalized, inspired and fresh, these guys deliver their tightly wound brand of "thrash-n-roll" on 11 blistering tracks, every one of which has some aspect to recommend it, whether it be the incredible guitar work (DA remains one of the few bands whose solos will bring a smile to your face), impassioned vocals, or punishing drums. Death Angel have always brought an aspect of "having fun", for lack of a better turn of phrase, to their work (to a lesser extent than a band like Wrathchild America did, but among those lines - remember their Kiss cover?), and it clearly shines in some unexpected moments here. The production is excellent and features a pummeling, bottom-heavy sound (someone at the knobs appreciated the bass player, so we can thankfully hear it) that rumbles through the speakers, or, as I prefer, directly into the ear cavity and into the old brainpan via a good set of headphones. I must confess that my expectations weren't high, and I purchased this because I'm duty-bound to Bay Area thrash, which I've supported since the mid-80s, but this flat out rocks, no question. Don't take the previous statement as a qualifier. This is an excellent album from a proven band. A must-have purchase for fans of Death Angel, thrash and metal, and a safe purchase for people who appreciate things on the heavier spectrum of great music in general.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Red Hot performance by a killer band recorded masterfully, March 9, 2008

By 

Worgelm "The Grumpy" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Killing Season (Audio CD)

When you're lucky enough to a) have a respectable career doing stuff you were playing in mom's basement 20 years ago, b) have a relatively hot modern rock producer (Rush/Foo Fighters producer Nick Raskulinecz) who is a fan of your band, and c) you can still play ferociously, you've got to take stock and take thanks to the muse. For anyone who hasn't checked in since the respectable 2004 opus _Art of Dying_, here's what you should expect: everything is better. As if you didn't expect quality - these guys - through other incarnations such as The Organization and Swarm, have always remained true to the basic mission, even if they've made slight tweaks to the presentation. Its hard to imagine any fan of true metal not giving respect to tight little twisters like the screaming "Carnival Justice," with its blues-funk breakdown twisting to an improbably good Cavestany solo, or the electronically-tweaked monster "God vs. God," which crashes down all old-school anthemic into an absolutely ripping percussion/psychadelic guitar breakdown that sounds like Incubus in a good way, winding its way briefly through the middle east before stopping to kick into the best thrash shout breakdown you've ever heard. The songwriting vs the last album is more confident, experienced, diverse and multidimensional. Musical surprises abound, like the steady, slinky mid-paced drive of "Soulless," or the masterfully woven acoustic Floydian overtones on epic closer "Resurrection Machine." Credit Raskulinecz for once again knowing just how to wring the best performances out of his band, challenging them without being domineering or unhelpful. (If you think a good producer is just a mindless knob twister, try watching Raskulinecz riling up old stick-in-the-mud fuddies like Rush, on the Rush special edition of _Snakes and Ladders_). Oh and by the way, its officially time to stop harping on Oseguda, because he absolutely rips. No longer an undisciplined shrieker, he has a command over his voice that is integral to this band's sound. Not only is there a single bad track on this album, i'll be darned if this album isn't every bit as good, maybe even better, than anything in their catalog. Seriously. It shreds that hard.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much Improved Death Angel Attack!!, February 26, 2008

By 

MetalMarc (Grand Rapids, MI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Killing Season (Audio CD)

This is definitely some of the best Bay Area Thrash I have heard come out in quite some time! Like so many bands these days DA have made a comeback now that Metal is coming back (Thank God!) and nu metal and alternative grunge is dying off (Thank God again!).

DA first resurfaced in 2004 with 'The Art of Dying'. While that album was decent, overall it lacked a lot from their past works and I was a bit disappointed personally. With their new effort (Killing Season) however, DA has produced a killer album that not only equals there past works it may even well surpass anything they have ever done!

First off the songwriting is so much better (very catchy) in comparison to (TAOD). This album is definitely heavier but is also more melodic as well. Songs like 'Lord of Hate', 'Dethroned', 'Buried Alive', 'Soulless', 'God vs. God', and epic closer 'Resurrection Machine' just breathe with insperation and energy of classic bay area thrash! It is pretty old school but has enough modern touches and updated production qualities to avoid sounding dated in any way.

I highly recommended 'Killing Season' for all fans of the more melodic styled thrash metal. If you were a bit disappointed by there last effort you can easily put your fears to rest as DA delivers in a big way with this album!

With a Megadeth revival last year and a new album from Testament coming out in a few months, 2008 might well bring Bay Area Thrash back to the forefront once again. If the new Metallica is good the scene would explode! Sadly I am not expecting much from Metallica but I hope I'm wrong.....