Death Angel

About Death Angel

Death Angel came out of the Bay Area thrash scene in the mid-80s when most of the members were still teenagers. We're talking 14, 15, 16 years old. They formed in 1982 in Daly City, just south of San Francisco, with a lineup built largely around the Cavestany family and their cousins. Rob Cavestany on guitar was the oldest at 16. Their drummer Danny Herrera was 14. When you listen to their 1987 debut "The Ultra-Violence," that's what you're hearing: kids who could already play circles around most adults.

That first album put them on the map in thrash circles. It had the speed and aggression you'd expect, but also this weird funk influence that set them apart from the Slayer worship happening elsewhere. "Mistress of Pain" and "Kill as One" became setlist staples they still play. They were the youngest band in a scene that included Metallica, Exodus, and Testament, but they held their own.

"Frolic Through the Park" came in 1988 and showed they weren't interested in just repeating themselves. More progressive structures, more melody, still brutal when it needed to be. Then 1990's "Act III" pushed even further into experimental territory. They were growing up fast, maybe too fast for some thrash purists, but songs like "Seemingly Endless Time" proved they had range.

The problem was timing. Thrash was dying commercially just as they were hitting their creative stride. They broke up in 1991 after their tour bus crashed in Arizona. The accident didn't kill anyone but it basically killed the band. Everyone walked away.

They stayed gone for most of the 90s while nu-metal and grunge took over. The reunion came in 2001, initially just for some festival appearances in the Bay Area, but it stuck. "The Art of Dying" in 2004 was their first album in 14 years, and somehow they hadn't lost it. If anything, they sounded tighter, more focused.

Since then they've been remarkably consistent. "Relentless Retribution" in 2010 got them a Grammy nomination. "The Dream Calls for Blood" in 2013 might be their best post-reunion record. "Humanicide" in 2019 came out right before the world shut down, which was unfortunate timing for a touring band.

They've never had that one massive crossover moment that made them household names outside metal circles. They're not Metallica or even Testament in terms of recognition. But they've built something more sustainable: a solid catalog, a loyal following, and the respect of their peers. They still tour regularly with most of the classic lineup intact. Rob Cavestany is still there. Danny Herrera is still there. Mark Osegueda, who joined as vocalist when he was 16, is still there. That's rarer than it should be in this world.

Death Angel crowds are committed metalheads who come ready to move. The pit is thick and purposeful. The band plays with the kind of tightness that comes from decades of knowing exactly how to execute, and they feed off that crowd intensity. Sweat and volume and zero bullshit.

Known for The Ultra Violence, Mistress of Pain, Seemingly Endless Time, Voracious Souls, Seemingly Unending

See Death Angel Live