DEATH ANGEL
Originally Active: 1982-1991
Number of Albums: 3
BIO:
DEATH ANGEL has been referred to as one of the key bands in the Bay Area thrash metal movement in the 1980s and leaders of the second wave of thrash metal. This is especially impressive considering each band member was still a teenager when their debut album released in 1987 – and drummer Andy Galeon was only 14 years old.
Following the underground success of their first two studio albums, “The Ultra-Violence” (1987) and “Frolic Through the Park” (1988), Death Angel signed to Geffen Records in 1989, and released their only album for the label, “Act III”, the following year. While they were touring in support of “Act III”, then-drummer Andy Galeon was injured in a tour bus accident and needed more than a year to fully recover. The band was soon dropped by Geffen Records when they refused to replace Galeon with another drummer. This resulted in the band’s break up in 1991 – with each member no older than 23.
INITIAL ALBUMS:
“The Ultra-Violence” (1987)
“Frolic Through the Park” (1988)
“Act III” (1990)
REUNIONS:
The band first reformed in 2001 for the Thrash of the Titans benefit concert for TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy. Since their reformation, DEATH ANGEL has had arguably the most successful reunion of any band on this list.
After reuniting, they have released six more albums, including “Humanicide” (2019), to which the title track gave DEATH ANGEL their first-ever Grammy Award nomination. These days, DEATH ANGEL is considered one of the “Big 8” thrash metal bands (along with METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, EXODUS and OVERKILL).