Wildly energetic for a veteran thrash band, the live platform has proven to be Death Angel’s bread and butter, with Sonic German Beatdown merely reinforcing that notion. As nostalgic as the band’s back catalog is (who can argue with “Mistress of Pain” and “3rd Floor?”), there’s just an abundance of life and spunk to this band, all but erasing that decade-plus span in which they were inactive.
A pro-shot, single DVD featuring sets from the 2007 Rock Hard Festival and a headlining gig in Adelsheim, Germany in 2008, Sonic German Beatdown covers every angle of the band’s said catalog, tossing in cuts from the band’s latest,Killing Floor for good measure.
Speed was never the band’s forte, allowing for excellent numbers like “Seemingly Endless Time,” “Stagnant” and “Thrown to the Wolves” to have heightened impact. The reliance on groove and melody, along with singer Mark Osegueda’s imitable vocals is arguably the band’s calling card and is justified by classics “Bored” and “Kill As One.” In fact, this DVD is a reminder of just how strong the band’s back catalog is.
No major extras outside of video clips for “Thicker Than Blood” and “Dethroned,” but the concert footage is where it’s at. Top-notch across the board, Sonic German Beatdown is an absolute must-have for those still digging on the waning thrash resurgence, although methinks Death Angel will outlive this trend without any problem…
(This content originally appeared on Blistering.com)