I’ll be the first to admit that their 2010 release passed me by completely unnoticed, which is strange as “Confused” is the reason that I listen to Bay Area Thrash in the first place. And if this album is anything to go by, as they both contain the same line-up, then I’m definitely going to be acquiring it soon.
As one would expect from Death Angel, a gentle intro to “Left for Dead” quickly gets booted in the nads as Rob Cavestany and Ted Aguilar open up the riff-fest that is about to ensue.
Mark Osegueda’s distinct thrash vocals over the intricate guitar riffs on “Son of the Morning” are an aural massage as he hits the higher notes with ease.
Will Carroll shows precision timing on the drums for the constant stopping on “Fallen” where a lesser drummer would certainly struggle to keep things as tight as he does.
The title track, “The Dream Calls for Blood”, bounces between being fast and damned fast with plenty of great riff work on both, but it’s the lead breaks that are pretty amazing in both their speed and changes.
Mark’s vocal cadence on “Succubus” doesn’t follow Will’s timing signature at all, making it even more pronounced and noticeable than it would’ve been otherwise. Rob’s lead is majestic in both its simplicity and grandeur as he runs his fingers over the fretboard.
“Execution” is the semi-acoustic intro to “Don’t Save Me” which starts off with a blistering pace but tempers it down to a powerfully steady charge towards “Caster of Shame” where the pace is as unrelenting and uncompromising as the leads are ethereal.
Delicate picking and strumming combine and swell as they reach their final tempo to “Detonate” and have Mark transcending himself those last few high notes.
“Empty” has the raw energy that they had back on ‘The Ultra-Violence’ but with more mature melody changes, including a bass solo by Damien Sisson for good measure.
The acoustic intro that is “Territorial Instinct” bleeds into a lead that plays continually through “Bloodlust” as it slowly meanders to the album’s sedate but epic conclusion.
Definitely a must of any Death Angel fan, and if you aren’t one, then you shall be by the end of your first listen.
(9/10 – Marco Gaminara)
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