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Casus Belli

      
         
         
         
     
             
Archangel A.D. are a thrash metal band from the USA forming in 2015 as Archangel, changing their name to Archangel A.D. the following year, and releasing their debut E.P. 'Warband' in 2018. The bands debut album 'Casus Belli' was released in 2021.    
             
High speed riffs, shredding leads, and dynamic vocals characterize the sound of Archangel A.D. with their debut album delivering a fast and furious rampage of thrash - with a couple of unexpected twists on the way! More on those as the album unfolds... 'Cause right now, the album explodes into life with the energetic 'Bet On Death', displaying the fast and furious punk edged pace of British legends Motorhead - with the riff and rhythm highly reminiscent of their 'Ace Of Spades' era. The insane pace and power of the opening shot is carried forward with the blistering title song 'Casus Belli'. A little more brutal than 'Bet On Death', 'Casus Belli' (the song) is more Slayer-like in its approach than say Metallica. Archangel A.D. definitely have their roots in thrash - from the brutal to the savage to the melodic, and everything in-between.    
             
Adopting a mid tempo heaviness you'd associate with the likes of Megadeth, 'Beacons' continues the bands drive down the thrash metal freeway. The opening triple has seen Archangel A.D. forge a fast and furious helter skelter of electrifying intensity. And then suddenly out of nowhere, the album hits the brakes - hard! All pace is lost, along with every ounce of savagery, to be replaced by 'Pluto's Lament', a twanging instrumental, that meanders like a psychedelic sixties trip. This is about as far away from thrash metal as you can get... And then just as suddenly, we find ourselves flying at high velocity in the mighty shape of 'Celestion', all of the albums brutal savagery beating as hard as it was. Archangel A.D. have no qualms about musical diversity - their willingness to diversify and experiment is done with the utmost confidence.    
             
'Sangre de las Montanas' (English translation 'Blood Of The Mountains') brings a change of mood to the album, introducing Spanish guitars and Spanish lyrics. And for the second time 'Casus Belli' (the album) is transported a million miles away from the thrash metal genre. The ability of the band to diversify their music at the drop of a hat is kind of frightening, and a little unsettling too, as you find yourself halfway through the album, not knowing which musical direction it'll go in next! And in answer to that - the direction of slow and heavy, courtesy of 'Demonolith', with its groove metal edged riffing, mid tempo swagger, and bursts of electrifying pace. And talking of electrifying pace, 'Blasphemer' returns the album to the fast and furious furore found during the opening couple of songs. The album is brought to a close with a major mood change, the serene and haunting 'Door To The Moon' adopts the psychedelic spaced out trip moment of earlier - a kind of alternative progressive classic rock feel!    
             
Overall, a rollercoaster of diversity, Archangel A.D. deliver blistering thrash, mixed with a couple of surprising off tangent moments.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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