ALBUM REVIEW: The Bastard Tracks – Death Angel

It turns out that Mark Osegueda does a pretty good impression of Ronnie James Dio. Tucked away at the end of this album, DEATH ANGEL cover BLACK SABBATH’s Falling Off The Edge Of The World and it’s great. It’s a loving tribute to their heroes, played with obvious enthusiasm, and the singer does a terrific job handling the high notes. They sound like they’re having a blast and it’s easily the highlight of a record best described as “entertaining but inconsequential.”

The Bastard Tracks is theoretically a live album, but it’s an odd one. It’s a document of a streaming event they held in May 2021. Originating from San Francisco’s Great American Music Hall, the veteran thrashers performed for just over an hour and the set was almost entirely devoid of the usual favourites. Seemingly Endless Time, Thrown To The Wolves and their ilk were left out, replaced with tracks that had either never been played, or left off the setlists for years.

This makes The Bastard Tracks something of a curiosity. Live albums usually function in one of two ways; either as a souvenir for the gig-goers or as an introductory ‘Best Of’ for newcomers. Here, neither of those scenarios apply. There was no audience in attendance and the lack of crowd noise means it doesn’t sound like a live album. And as the songs are mostly deep cuts, it’s not a good summary of their best-known music either.

In fairness though, for the discerning DEATH ANGEL fan, it’s a rewarding listen. Hearing Guilty Of Innocence being played live for the first time in over a decade is wonderful, while the debuts of Alive And Screaming and Faded Remains are great. It also raises the question of why so many of these tracks get overlooked? Fallen for example is excellent and, in this context, comes across like a neglected classic.

Admittedly, there are a couple of odd choices. Succubus for example isn’t one of their stronger efforts, while Volcanic is a momentum-killer, but even so, it’s a well-rounded selection. Plus, it’s nice to see that DEATH ANGEL aren’t constrained by their glory days. Two-thirds of the material originates from albums recorded after 2010 and it’s striking how little of it is from their 80s era. This isn’t a nostalgia trip, they’ve got a refreshing confidence in their more recent recordings and aren’t afraid to show it off.

If you want a more traditional DEATH ANGEL live album, this is not the one to get. If you’re after a snapshot of what they got up to during the pandemic however, look no further. In all honesty, there probably isn’t a massive audience for The Bastard Tracks, this is more of a curio for diehard thrashers. It’s very good but at the same time, more an extra-long footnote than anything essential. That SABBATH cover is killer though.

Rating: 6/10

The Bastard Tracks is set for release on November 26th via Nuclear Blast Records.

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