Last December, adopting the trend of playing albums in their entirety, veteran thrashers Death Angel hit the road for a three-week trek across the States to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the release of their third full-length album, their first on a major label, the ingeniously entitled Act III. The band deemed the public reaction to that short tour, “Very humbling and so fulfilling.” So much so that they chose to replicate it with a full nationwide tour.
Death Angel
The Observatory, Santa Ana, California – 19 June 2026
Words And Photography: Matt Roberts
Act III marked a huge turning point in the Death Angel songwriting career, proving for the first time that there was much more than just a Thrash Metal string to their bow.
Elements such as funk rock, vocal melodies and acoustic guitar, virtually unheard of at the time in the world of Thrash, were thrown into the mixer proving beyond a doubt that they had matured from the bunch of high school kids who had formed the band eight years earlier into a group of accomplished musicians who had to be taken seriously.
This performance, the third from last stop of a 35-date trek, saw them arrive at the near full house 1,200 capacity Santa Ana Observatory, situated 30 miles from Los Angeles, with support from the pre-Xmas jaunt, Phoenix’s Incite, led by Max Cavalera’s stepson Richie, and ’80s Bay Area Thrash buddies Vio-lence, once again on board.
A short, sharp and very heavy set from Incite was followed by the more Punky Oi Oi influenced Vio-lence, fronted by manically staring, battle jacket wearing stalwart Sean Killian.
This served to raise the temperature and blow the cobwebs from the pitters who were starting to circle the floor with increasing enthusiasm in anticipation of the headliners who hit the stage at 9:20 pm with the full force of a pneumatic battering ram.
Seemingly Endless Time hits hard on vinyl as a record opener, but in the live environment, it is, quite simply, breathtaking. Sole remaining founder-member Rob Cavestanys opening riff moving along at breakneck speed, accompanied by his second cousin, vocalist Mark Osegueda, defying his 57 years by shaking his mane in perfect unison. It is quite an introduction.
There is simply no let-up as Death Angel launch straight into Stop, another riff-oriented barnstormer, powered along by the rhythm section of beanpole bassist Damien Sissons and the thunderous if unorthodox drumming of Will Carroll.
Carroll was described by Osegueda later during his band introductions as “The meanest motherfucker in the building.” He looks it, too.
It instantly becomes obvious, as would be expected after five weeks on the road, that the band is operating at the peak of its powers, and it is almost a relief to the senses when, upon the song’s conclusion, the stage tech brings out an acoustic guitar on a stand and plonks it in front of rhythm guitarist Ted Aguilar.
Aguilar promptly strums the intro bars to Veil Of Deception before the rest of the band kick in, in electrical accompaniment.
The engaging Osegueda is one of Metal’s more talkative frontmen. He likes to talk, and he thanks the audience on numerous occasions throughout the evening, not just for turning up tonight but for supporting the Metal music that has enabled him and his bandmates to have lived the life they live.
“We’re a metal community,” he announces, “Thank you all SO, SO much.” His words sound wholeheartedly genuine.
A Room With A View, a haunting ballad about life through the eyes of a blind man (if that’s possible) and one of the album’s two singles, sees Cavestany take over lead vocal duties before Osegueda joins in a duet.
It is a welcome chance for the audience to recover their senses and offers a welcome temporary respite from the nuclear blast.
The rest of the album, including the funky thumb slap bass intro of Disturbing The Peace, flies by in a blur of shaking heads, flailing limbs and devil horns before the band depart the stage for a much-needed brief hydration break, returning, as Osequeda announces, to play a selection of cuts from the rest of their catalogue.
First up is the Grammy-nominated title track from their most recently released full-length recording, 2019’s fan favourite Humanicide, which succeeds in whipping the crowd into even more of a frenzy than they were before the break.
Cult Of The Used, the single released to coincide with last year’s short pre-Christmas tour, is next up, and if this is an indication of the standard of material currently being written for a new album expected later this year, then we are all in for a real treat.
It is another colossal Cavestany riff that powers along like a runaway steam train and is followed by two cuts from 2016’s The Evil Divide, The Moth, and Lost, described by Osegueda as “A very personal song about being a weird child, a weird teenager, a weird adult just trying to get by doing what you love.”
With this being Death Angels’ first national headline tour since the fall of 2019, most present will have grown accustomed to seeing only support-length sets, so with the clock well past 11 pm, they are all likely expecting the performance to conclude.
A brief onstage conversation between Cavestany and the singer, however, ends with him announcing that, as a thank you and because they are having so much fun, they are going to play an extra song that is not even on the setlist.
He asks the audience, “Are you physically up to the challenge?” and gets his answer when every single person in the building roars their confirmation.
A huge grin spreads across his face as his bandmates burst into Mistress Of Pain from their 1987 debut The Ultra-Violence, and the evening draws to a conclusion with another fan favourite, Thrown To The Wolves, lifted from 2004’s The Art of Dying.
After a short break to recharge their batteries, Death Angel head over to Europe for a series of summer dates including a single UK appearance at Bloodstock Open Air.
If you get the chance, do not miss them.
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