“Man, we’d like to thank you guys for this nice big send-off before we go to Australia, you guys fuckin’ rule!” exclaims Death Angel frontman Mark Osegueda, “We really appreciate all of you guys coming out to support us tonight and Armored Saint, thank you all!” Mark, looking tired but enthusiastic, then introduces the next song and Death Angel then continues their all out thrash metal barrage on the packed house with one of their classic hits. Death Angel had the crowd in a fatal choke hold by this time.

Having just released their phenomenal thrash metal record this year, Killing Season, The boys of Death Angel are back and better than ever. Sounding more polished than any other record they’ve produced, Killing Season is definitely their magnum opus, so far. Critically lauded and metal hits loaded, the thrash metal titans have come back from the dead, stronger and more vital in the metal landscape.

“This song goes back to 86,” screams Mark on the microphone, “Let’s get those bodies moving!” Death Angel certainly had an agenda to play nothing but the greatest Death Angel songs for the night and boy did it go over extra well with the crowd. “3rd Floor” had the front row swaying and thrashing mad like wild fuckin’ animals uncaged. “Dethroned,” one of the newer ones, got a really warm response from the crowd and showcased Death Angel in the now. “Soulless,” also newer, sounded so good that I had to down my whisky drink to that one. “Voracious Souls” had the new school thrashers all in a bunch tearing through the crowds and pummeling all in the way. “Bored” got all Death Angel fans jumping around and acting like fools. At that point in time, I felt like I was 16 again, man that was awesome.

Death Angel’s stage presence was most surprising for me, go figure, it’s my first Death Angel show, and I had no clue how much raw energy and power these guys really possessed while onstage. The relentless musical barrage left my jaw dropped and left my ears so pleased that it took a while for me to really take it all in. Mark, Andy, Rob, Ted and new bass player Sammy really took it to a whole new level. By the time they played “Seemingly Endless Time,” I was in full shock at what I was witnessing before my eyes.

The intensity and influence of Death Angel in metal goes way back and I’ve got nothing but complete respect for these guys and what they do. Being a young kid listening to Ultra Violence, Frolic Through The Park and Act III really gave me a huge insight of the attitude and sound of thrash metal. Hell it even shaped the way I play guitar and where standards were supposed to be. Now with The Art Of Dying and Killing Season rounding out their greatest albums of all time so far, Death Angel are hall of famers in my book. God Bless Death Angel. “Prepare to meet thy God.”

Headliners Armored Saint got up onstage round 11:30 and got things swinging with their most awesome song ever, “Reign of Fire.” Now the house was packed with mostly Armored Saint fans, ranging from young to old, somewhere between 20 year olds to 40 year olds. One can say that the crowd was much more older for Death Angel music but the crowd seemed to just be happy to hear live music in general.

“It feels good to be playing our hometown before we head out,” cries John Bush, “We are Armored Saint and we’re extremely happy to be here playing for you guys!” John Bush sounding in top form couldn’t be anymore correct. With no empty visible space on the floor, Armored Saint fans have come out of the woodwork to support this remarkable band with a remarkable history.

I do admit that I do only have one Armored Saint album, don’t really know why, but might have to grab a few I missed throughout the years after seeing this show. The power of this band lies in their exceptional song writing and arrangements which a lot of bands these days have a hard time perfecting. The one and only Armored Saint album I do own is Symbol Of Salvation, which I’ve been told countless times that it is their best work, hands down. I myself have not ever forgotten the songs from that album and some are vivid like the day I popped that Tape in my tape player.

The most vivid song and the one I continually listen to until now is “Last Train Home.” In the glam era in which Armored Saint was playing in, “Last Train Home” really stood out as musicians taking their craft seriously but without getting cheesy nor dramatically in love. I was eager to hear the song live and when the first notes of the guitar intro came in, it seemed like it was only a few people and I that knew what was coming and bam, like a freight train, the song started. Hearing it live for the first time after hearing it on Tape/CD all these years, felt so satisfying and surreal. Not only did hearing that song fulfill my night, it also made it complete.

Two more songs that had the crowd all smiles were “War Zone” and “False Alarm.” “War Zone” is Armored Saint’s salute to the troops involved in the First Iraq War with John Bush explaining to the crowd how ecstatic he was to finally see both Bush’s out and ‘The Brotha’ to take over. The song sufficed the metal reign that Armored Saint has. Armored Saint even threw in a special song that they haven’t played since they stopped playing it in ’86, which was their first single “False Alarm.” To think that song came out when it did, blows my mind….it was clearly ahead of its time.

I decided to pack it in early since the day’s festivities had me beat. The combo of Death Angel and Armored Saint was not what I was expecting but better. It was an excellent set by boht of those remarkable bands. But from what I can take from watching this show was: Metal is alive, kicking and still makes me feel exactly the way I did the first time I heard it.