Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
Long-running Bay Area thrash metal royalty DEATH ANGEL announce the worldwide release of their eagerly awaited ninth studio album, ‘Humanicide‘, via Nuclear Blast Records on May 31st.
With today’s announcement, the band unveils the album artwork, track-listing, and first new single, the “Humanicide” title track, with a visualizer. The arrival of the new record will be preceded by a U.S. tour that sees DEATH ANGEL, alongside ACT OF DEFIANCE, as both provide direct support to OVERKILL. You will find the touring itinerary shared below the video clip on this page.
For ‘Humanicide‘, DEATH ANGEL returned to work once again with friend and producer Jason Suecof (Charred Walls Of The Damned, Trivium, Six Feet Under) at Audiohammer Studios for the recording and mixing, with the legendary Ted Jensen of Sterling Sound handling mastering. After working together on three previous releases, Suecof seemingly has embraced his role as the (symbolic) sixth member of DEATH ANGEL.
According to the PR release that accompanied today’s news, DEATH ANGEL continues to revel in their place as one of U.S. metal’s most respected bands. Their refusal to embrace flimsy musical trends, while maintaining their signature style of aggression and galvanized technical edge, has placed DEATH ANGEL at the forefront of the metal underground.
At the same time, they assure fans that ‘Humanicide‘ will push the envelope just as they have always done, this time with new elements that include acoustic embellishments, guest musicians, and for the first time ever, piano-based moments. Today’s song premiere, “Humanicide”, triumphantly represents the entirety of the album, immediately energizing the listener with its ferocious intensity.
Singer Mark Osegueda comments:
“I wanted to write something that metal fans could really grasp onto. Something dark and intense, that still makes sense. Right now I think it’s so apparent that the earth is in a sickened state.”
Guitarist/songwriter Rob Cavestany, the only remaining original member of the band, adds:
“When I wrote the music for our song ‘Humanicide,’ I was shooting for an album opener that would have all the elements of an epic thrash opus. This meant a classic metal style intro leading into a ferocious ‘Bay Area Thrash Riff-o-Rama’ complete with a crazy middle build up section to ramp up the circle pit until it’s all whipped up into a frenzy by the time the frenetic guitar solo hits, then concluding with a maniacal musical section leading into the outro. All it needed was the lyrics and vocal delivery to match the intensity and Mark went above and beyond the call of duty! Some of his best work in my opinion. One of my favorite DA songs for sure, it feels like the follow up to our song ‘Thrown To The Wolves’. Can’t wait to play it live!”
DEATH ANGEL:
Rob Cavestany – lead guitar/vocals
Mark Osegueda – lead vocals
Ted Aguilar – rhythm guitar
Will Carroll – drums
Damien Sisson – bass
‘Humanicide‘ is adorned with ominous and stunning artwork created by artist Brent Elliott White (Megadeth, Job For A Cowboy, Trivium). It will be released from Nuclear Blast on May 31st and is being made available in a variety of formats, with pre-order active now at this LINK.
Tracklist:
02. Divine Defector
03. Aggressor
04. I Came For Blood
05. Immortal Behated
06. Alive And Screaming
07. The Pack
08. Ghost Of Me
09. Revelation Song
10. Of Rats And Men
11. The Day I Walked Away (Bonus Track)
– OVERKILL “Wings Over The U.S.A.” Tour 2019 –
w/ DEATH ANGEL & ACT OF DEFIANCE
Apr. 20 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Complex*
Apr. 21 – Colorado Springs, CO – Black Sheep*
Apr. 22 – Kansas City, MO – Riot Room*
Apr. 23 – Indianapolis, IN – Black Circle*
Apr. 24 – Huntington, WV – V Club*
Apr. 25 – Baltimore, MD – Sound Stage/Rams Head
Apr. 26 – Philadelphia, PA – Theater of the Living Arts
Apr. 27 – Pittsburgh, PA – Rex Theater
Apr. 28 – Cleveland, OH – House Of Blues
Apr. 29 – Louisville, KY – Mercury Ballroom
Apr. 30 – Detroit, MI – St. Andrews Hall
May 1 – Grand Rapids, MI – Intersection
May 2 – Chicago, IL – House Of Blues
May 3 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater
May 4 – Milwaukee, WI – The Rave
May 5 – St. Louis, MO – Delmar Hall
May 6 – Nashville, TN – The Cannery
May 7 – Cincinnati, OH – Bogarts
May 9 – Rochester, NY – Anthology
May 10 – New York, NY – PlayStation Theater (+ LIFE OF AGONY)
May 11 – Boston, MA – Paradise
May 12 – Poughkeepsie, NY – The Loft at The Chance*
May 14 – Oklahoma City, OK – 89th Street*
May 15 – Lubbock, TX – Jakes*
May 16 – Albuquerque, NM – Launchpad*
May 17 – Phoenix, AZ – Club Red*
May 18 – West Hollywood, CA – Whiskey A Go Go*
May 19 – San Francisco, CA – DN Lounge*
*No OVERKILL
