Blood of Angels’ second album.
Now back on the independent scene, the American band led by Randy Reyes (vocals/acoustic guitar), Aaron Robinson (guitar), Jonathan Rushford (drums/keyboards), and The Maggot (bass/backing vocals) released Les Agnst ov Thanatou in 2026.
We kick things off with Transitional Portal, a fairly short track that serves as a long, mysterious introduction leading into Beating You, an aggressive composition with an Old School mix that’s at times a bit thin, highlighting the leads over the drums, but the arrival of the vocals significantly bolsters the sound. The band doesn’t hesitate to draw on Thrash to flesh out its Melodic Death Metal, as well as on searing leads, before a softer finale that leads into The Last Rites”and its highly jerky yet eclectic approach, shifting between harmonics and rhythm. The mix remains relatively cohesive, giving the blast beat a more prominent role than before, but the leads once again take the upper hand at the right moment before giving way to Red River Death, where the band takes the time to weave its abrasive sounds into a relatively martial foundation. There’s a heady yet dissonant wave of harmonics as the rhythm section pounds our eardrums, though it unexpectedly makes room for the bass, which leads us toward the finale and then into the lengthy The Pain Inside, where the acoustic intro grants us a welcome respite. The clean vocals join the gentle melody for a few minutes, then the distortion returns to bring its chaos, admittedly controlled, but sure to sow confusion in this moment I almost associated with contemplation, with its jerky and at times even slightly messy rhythm, particularly in the leads. The band follows up with the shrill guitar of Spillage, which greets us and stays with us throughout the track. While it seems catchy at times, it suffers from the mix and reveals only part of its potential before giving way to Minds of the Broken, which easily holds its own with a raw yet straightforward approach that’s more than enough to get us headbanging. The track is a bit short, however, and quickly gives way to Nevermore, which is twice as long and lets the bass take center stage before returning to a tighter groove and more unsettling gothic tones punctuated by bursts of aggression that make the most of the song’s eight minutes to alternate and echo each other, becoming much heavier toward the end before Eulogy brings us back to calm with a sampled voice, as well as some much softer keyboards that lead into silence.
While there are clearly good ideas in Blood of Angels, they are unfortunately almost all overshadowed by a lackluster mix. Les Agnst ov Thanatou isn’t a bad album; it just deserves a different treatment.
60/100
