Death Angel: “Act III" at the Capitol Theatre -- November 29.
Saturday, November 29, 7 p.m.
Capitol Theatre, 330 West Third Street, Davenport IA
Performing in conjunction with the 35th anniversary of one of their biggest successes, the thrash-metal musicians of Dark Angel bring their national Act III tour to Davenport's Capitol Theatre on November 29, the night treating fans to the explosive talents of lead guitarist Rob Cavestany, lead vocalist Mark Osegueda, rhythm guitarist Ted Aguilar, drummer Will Carroll, and bassist Damien Sisson.
Hailing from Daly City, California, and initially active from 1982 to 1991 and again since 2001, Death Angel has released nine studio albums, two demo tapes, one box set, and three live albums to date. The group was one of the most popular Bay Area thrash metal bands of the 1980s, and secured opening slots at club venues that decade, including opening for their peers Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Exodus, Testament, Overkill, D.R.I., Mercyful Fate, and Possessed. Death Angel is often credited as one of the leaders of the second wave of thrash metal movement from the 1980s, and considered one of the "Big Eight" of the genre (along with Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, Exodus and Overkill), as well as one of the so-called "Big Six of Bay Area thrash metal" (alongside Exodus, Testament, Lȧȧz Rockit, Forbidden and Vio-lence). Following the underground success of their first two studio albums, 1987's The Ultra-Violence and 1988's Frolic Through the Park, Death Angel signed to Geffen Records in 1989, and released its only album for the label, Act III, the following year.
While touring in support of Act III, then-drummer Andy Galeon was injured in a bus accident and took more than a year to fully recover. This resulted in the band's breakup in 1991. However, Death Angel reformed in 2001 (without original rhythm guitarist Gus Pepa) at the Thrash of the Titans benefit concert for Testament frontman Chuck Billy, and the band has since released six more albums, including 2019's Humanicide, whose title track gave Death Angel a Grammy Award nomination. They are currently working on their tenth studio album, which is tentatively due in 2026.
Regarded by many critics and fans as the band's finest effort, 1990's Act III was co-produced Max Norman and Tom Zutaut. This album presented a change in style for Death Angel, and is considerably much darker than its predecessors. While retaining some of the speed and thrash elements of The Ultra-Violence, it also saw the band continuing the experimentation of Frolic Through the Park, drawing elements and influences from a variety of musical styles such as funk, folk, progressive, traditional heavy metal, hard rock and punk rock.
Adam McCann of Metal Digest called Act III "an early 90's classic thrash album," and wrote, "There was something always a little bit more technical and progressive about Death Angel, but with Act III, the band found the perfect combination of thrash, technical and accessibility as they created a beast which saw the band achieve MTV heavy rotation with 'A Room With a View' and 'Seemingly Endless Time'. Check any list of the best heavy metal albums of all time, and nine times out of 10, you'll find Act III."
Death Angel brings their Act III tour to Davenport on November 29 alongside guest artists Toxic Holocaust, Lions at the Gate, and Misfire, admission to the 7 p.m. concert is $39.86, and more information and tickets are available by visiting FirstFleetConcerts.com/first-fleet-venues/capitol-theatre.
