Death Angel: The Enigma Years (1987-1990), 4CD

• FOR FANS OF: METALLICA / TESTAMENT

Hailing from the same Bay Area thrash metal scene that gave us Metallica, Exodus and Testament, San Francisco's Death Angel were originally formed in 1982.

Building up a loyal cult following, their 'Kill As One’ demo was produced by Metallica's Kirk Hammett, and is included here as a bonus on CD One. ‘Kill As One’ led to a record deal with Enigma Records, who released their debut album, 'The Ultra-Violence’, in 1987.

The Kerrang! review of their second Enigma album, 1988's ‘Frolic Through The Park’, stated that it was, "an album of depth and colour, with a variety of moods and textures unheard of among nearly all Thrash and certainly not expected of a band on their second effort," and the album, "Showcases a Death Angel that's not afraid to experiment or change what was a winning formula". That's not to say that '3rd Floor' and 'Guilty Of Innocence' don't thrash along at a suitably demonic pace, but also finding room to slow down for 'Confused' or enter Maiden-esque epic territory with 'Shores Of Sin'.

Jumping ship to Geffen in 1990, Enigma released the live show ‘Fall From Grace’ in 1990, recorded on stage at the famed Paradiso venue in Amsterdam in 1988. With a set based around their first two albums.

In 2005, Death Angel allowed their personal archive of master tapes, and even cassettes to be raided for a collection of unreleased demos and rehearsals that go right back to their earliest recordings; collected here on CD 4 as ‘Rarities’.

TRACK LISTING

DISC ONE

THE ULTRA-VIOLENCE (1987)

1.  THRASHERS

2.  EVIL PRIEST

3.  VORACIOUS SOULS

4.  KILL AS ONE

5.  THE ULTRA-VIOLENCE

6.  MISTRESS OF PAIN

7.  FINAL DEATH

8.  I.P.F.S.

BONUS TRACKS KILL AS ONE DEMO

9.  THRASHERS

10.  KILL AS ONE

11.  THE ULTRA-VIOLENCE

DISC TWO

FROLIC THROUGH THE PARK (1988)

1.  3RD FLOOR

2.  ROAD MUTANTS

3.  WHY YOU DO THIS

4.  BORED

5.  DEVIL’S METAL

6.  CONFUSED

7.  GUILTY OF INNOCENCE

8.  OPEN UP

9.  SHORES OF SIN

10.  COLD GIN

11.  MIND RAPE

BONUS TRACKS

12.  DEHUMANIZATION

13.  SILENT KILLER

14.  WITCHES OF KNAVE

DISC THREE

FALL FROM GRACE (1990)

1.  EVIL PRIEST

2.  WHY YOU DO THIS

3.  MISTRESS OF PAIN

4.  ROAD MUTANTS

5.  VORACIOUS SOULS

6.  CONFUSED

7.  BORED

8.  KILL AS ONE

9.  GUILTY OF INNOCENCE

10.  SHORES OF SIN

11.  FINAL DEATH BONUS TRACK

12.   3RD FLOOR

DISC FOUR

RARITIES (2005)

1.  VULTURE’S NEST

2.  THE HURT

3.  CONFLICT OF INTEREST

4.  A PASSING THOUGHT

5.  ELERGY

6.  ASPIRATIONS

7.  DISMAL

8.  THE MORROWS MEMOIRS

9.  SAMSON

10.  FROLIC THROUGH THE PARK

11.  BETRAYED