Review by Daniel for Death Angel - The Ultra-Violence (1987)

I've never really gotten into Death Angel & time doesn't seem to have altered my opinions on this album. I love the raw thrashy production & there are plenty of great riffs but I think the song-writing is a bit lacking in maturity & sophistication (which is hardly surprising given their age). Also, although I don't mind Mark Osegueda's more aggressive vocal style I have a bit of trouble accepting all the out of key stuff when he tries to actually sing. He would have been far better off simply screaming his head off throughout the whole album than attempting to sing notes that he clearly can't hit. Luckily the production & raw energy of the band makes up for some of these negatives. They're at their best when they keep it a bit more basic & simply thrash out on tracks like "Kill As One" & "Mistress Of Pain". In fact I do find myself really enjoying parts of most of the tracks but I don't think I actually love any of them in their entirety as I always find something that lets the rest of the song down (like some dodgy vocals or a few substandard riffs). Not bad but overrated in my opinion.