NMC #144 (DEATH ANGEL, BOSTON)

[Jon]

by "gee, really?" Jon

Death Angel--The Dream Calls For Blood (October 2013)

1. Left For Dead

2. Fallen

3. Succubus

4. Empty

5. Heaven And Hell*

*yes it is

Boston--Life, Love & Hope (December 2013)

1. Didn't Mean To Fall In Love**

2. Sail Away

3. If You Were In Love

4. Love Got Away

5. The Way You Look Tonight

**yes it was

[Scott]

DEATH ANGEL ... Two thumb's firmly planted in my ears

Mr. Predictable here...  With a name like Death Angel there's not much guess work involved with what kind of music they play.  Everything stunk pretty bad until the Sabbath cover, but that's its, nice cover for the most part.

BOSTON ... Two confused to rate this one

I like the sound quality although its very loud and loads of bass.  Maybe the production has the issues I've been reading about but not quite as bad as some have made it seem.  I really like Didn't Mean To Fall In Love, like it on Corporate America too.  I don't hear a ton of improvements on it though besides some updated production which is really nice.  Sail Away is a pretty good tune, not great but good, a little different for Boston than what I would expect.  The drum machine is distracting, couldn't he get a real drummer?  If You Were In Love... um...  not sure what to think of this one other than the annoying drum machine again.  Love Got Away, I hear the beginnings of a good song, but it feels unfinished and there's the predictable drum machine again. I don't like the mix and the songs don't sound finished to me.  I am gonna pass on this for now.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Boston (Thumbs chopped off and stuffed into my ears)

Didn't Mean To Fall In Love is really weird.  It sounds very cut and paste.  Some flashes of Boston, but almost sounds like a modern day mash-up of an older Boston song.  I don't know, I've heard posthumous stuff before, but this one gives me the heebejeebees or how ever you spell it.  Sail Away is weird too.  I get more of a Queen vibe than a Boston vibe from the guitars.  Same for If You Were In Love.  And I'm not feelin' the female lead vocals here.  Not saying she's bad, just not feeling them for Boston.  And now the tird song out of five with the word "love" in the title.  This is one thing that bothered me when I originally read the track listing.  Too many love songs.  This is awful.  The last song is terrible.  I can't listen any more.  

Oh yeah, Tom, give Brian his guitar back.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Death Angel

I can see why Scott doesn't like this.  It's rough on these almost 50 year old ears.  Having said that, here are some thoughts:

• The vocalist reminds me of Sam Kinison.  
• He screams, but I can understand all of the lyrics  (which is a good thing).
• This really reminds me of the most recent release by Anthrax (I liked that one too).
• This is some really cool workout music.
• The cover of Heaven and Hell is very good imo.
• Lovely guitars.
• Also good to listen to at work when folks are getting on your nerves.
• This is light years ahead of Boston.
• Might have to get this.

[RJhog (Admin)]

Jon, is the Heaven And Hell track a bonus track?  It's not on the Amazon listing...

[Jon]

it's a bonus on the deluxe version, it should be this version HERE, even though the bonus track isn't listed.