ALBUM REVIEW: Casus Belli – Archangel A.D.

Hoping to be the latest in the lone star state’s long and storied tradition of producing incredible metal bands are young Texans ARCHANGEL A.D. Following on from their well received 2019 EP Warband, they have finally released their debut album, christened Casus Belli.

Casus Belli opens with a trifecta of pretty solid thrashers. Bet On Death, an opening barrage of weighty riffing and gambling references, is chased by the title track, Casus Belli, a perfectly serviceable bit of mosh bait with a clear and immediately recognisable SLAYER influence. Moving forward, we are presented with Beacons, which opens with a thick, slabby riff before breaking into a solid thrash section with satisfying solos weaving overhead.

It is following this that the newcomers decide to try their hand at something a little different. Pluto’s Lament is a moody solo bass piece that serves as a solemn break from the fairly straightforward brawlers heard so far. Anaesthesia (Pulling Teeth) she ain’t, but it’s an entertaining piece that shows off a little extra layer and an emotional maturity that you may not expect from standard thrash fare.

This is not just a one off however, following a mid-album war-is-hell type thrash break in the form of Celestion, another surprise arrives in the form of Sangre De Las Montañas, an acoustic folk ballad sung in Spanish no less, made up entirely of acoustic guitars and claps. It’s a surprise but not an unwelcome one. It’s dramatic and fun, containing some of the most engaging bits of song-writing present across the whole album, and showcasing the versatility the young musicians of ARCHANGEL A.D. possess.

It’s a real shame then that immediately following this, possibly the album’s worst moment rears its head. Demonolith is an overly long plodding track built around one massive dull riff that isn’t really interesting enough to be worthy of its place as centrepiece to the song. The faster mid-section unfortunately doesn’t do enough to save it. They more than make amends however with the next track, a hopeful new candidate for the title of “best thrash song called Blasphemer”, presenting a smorgasbord of tight, interesting riffs, stirring drum work and the best vocal performance so far, which, while it may not pip SODOM’s track of the same name to the title, could still easily be called this album’s finest moment.

In an unfortunate case of an album moreso fading away than going out with a bang, two more tracks are included, made up of proggy meandering ballad Door To The Moon, which has all the urgency of a lame Diplodocus after a double portion of tranquilisers, and closer The Coming Of The West Wind. Weighing in at a hefty 11 minutes plus change, the track features some very interesting moments, chief among them being a segment of pure savagery where everything is kicked up into high gear and the fastest and most aggressive riff Casus Belli has to offer wades into the fray, but this is snatched away again before it even really has time to land. The vocal style takes on a much harsher, almost death metal tone at points as well, which may strike the listener as an odd thing to introduce this late into an album, but are impressive nonetheless. Despite this, the track feels too stretched out with a lot of unnecessary fluff involved, and by the time it has faded out into the sounds of rain and wind it just seems to push itself out into forgettable territory.

Overall, ARCHANGEL A.D. have done a pretty good job with Casus Belli. Despite the occasional over-plumped section and idea that may not fit, it still makes for an engaging listen. They clearly have a great love for the style and seem to be having fun and throwing themselves wholeheartedly into what they do, even having the guts to think outside the box and do things that others wouldn’t dare try. The positives definitely outweigh the negatives and to be entirely honest, there’s a very definite enthusiasm and vigour to Casus Belli that puts one in mind of a similar feeling that hung in abundance all over another young band around the time their debut album Kill ‘Em All first hit the streets. With this in mind, ARCHANGEL A.D. could very definitely be one to watch.

Rating: 6/10

Casus Belli is out now via self-release.

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