FIFTH ANGEL
FIFTH ANGEL – “When Angels Kill”
By Colonel Angus
FIFTH ANGEL was a band that I thought would have been bigger but like many talented bands, all the stars didn’t align for them. I remember being first introduced to them via the pages of either Kerrang! or Metal Forces (or one of the other myriad metal magazines I collected at the time) and after hearing their debut record, I thought that this is a band that will be big. They had the riffs, the vocals, and most importantly, the songs to elevate then above all the other bands coming out at the time.
Sadly, it was not meant to be and after their second release, “Time Will Tell”, the band broke up. Music was changing at the time and I’m not sure how FIFTH ANGEL would have weathered that storm but luckily, they reformed again in 2010 (and again in 2017). Their last release “The Third Secret” managed to capture a newer riff heavy brand of metal and with a more updated vocal delivery courtesy of Kendall Bechtel. Fast forward a half decade and here we are again with another FIFTH ANGEL record and it is quite the metal scorcher.
After a short intro, the band launch into the title track and riff and wail through an hour of metal that is less like their self-titled record and more in the vein of JUDAS PRIEST meets PRIMAL FEAR. That is not to mean that it is a rip-off but more in that style and while many bands are trying to recreate that early 80’s NWOBHM sound, FIFTH ANGEL have decided to update their brand with a heavier version of themselves. And it most certainly works as they throw some power metal pieces here and there like on “On Wings of Steel” and “Run to the Black”. I wouldn’t necessarily call it full on power metal but there are spots that lean in that direction.
Elsewhere, we get some great chugging riffage with “Blinded and Bleeding”, “We Are Immortal”, and “Empire of Hate”. Those tunes, while not sounding like their earlier material, seem to capture that same spirit that was prevalent on their debut. The first half of “When Angels Kill” consists of the shorter tunes with only “Empire of Hate” cracking the five minute mark. The latter half of the record has the more epic songs along with the ballad-y “Ashes to Ashes”. The tracks may be slightly longer but they rock just as hard with “Ashes to Ashes” and “Five Days of Madness” being the standouts. The latter also has a great chorus that so infectious that it had me humming it for hours. Also, Steven Carlson, who does an awesome job throughout, has a cool vocal delivery that reminded me of Bruce Dickinson on that same track. The whole record ends with “Light the Sky” a shorter tune that harkens back to the earlier track on “When Angels Kill” and comers full circle.
I have lamented over the years that since compact disks became mainstream, bands have decided that they needed to fill each disk to maximum capacity which left us fans with a lot of “filler’ tracks that were peppered throughout the release. “When Angles Kill” is one of those records that manages to rise above and put forth almost seventy minutes of quality songs with not one tune feeling forced or incomplete. I have listened to this disk a half dozen times and not once have a reached for the skip button which says a lot. If you have been following the band, three of the names should be one’s you recognize with Ed Archer (guitars), Ken Mary (drums), and John Macko (bass) making up the nucleus of the first two records and the latter two names being a part of the third. Completing the line-up is Ken Mary’s bandmate from FLOTSAM AND JETSAM guitarist Steve Conley and previously mentioned vocalist Steven Carlson.
This year has been a banner year for metal releases so far and “When Angles Kill” is one of the top albums this year for me. I’m not quite sure what is in store for the next six months of 2023, but I can’t imagine this disk not making my top ten. FIFTH ANGEL have crafted a record that should now get them the attention they richly deserve and I hope we won’t have to wait five years for another album.