Angel Dust formed in Dortmund, Germany, in the mid '80s as a
thrash band. They recorded two albums, 1988's "Into the Dark Past"
and 1989's "To Dust You Will Decay," before disbanding. The band's
rhythm section, drummer Dirk Assmuth and bassist Frank Banx, reformed the band
in 1998, recruiting new vocalist Dirk Thurisch, guitarist Bernd Aufermann, and
keyboardist Steven Banx. Their sound changed dramatically to a British power
metal style.
Angel Dust-Bleed (Century Media) 1999
1. "Bleed" (4:39)
2. "Black Rain" (3:47)
3. "Never" (6:03)
4. "Follow Me (Part I)" (4:31)
5. "Follow Me (Part II)" (6:41)
6. "Addicted To Serenity" (5:06)
7. "Surrender" (7:06)
8. "Sanity" (6:02)
9. "Liquid Angel" (4:45)
10. "Memories" (4:54)
11. "Nightmare" (6:32)
12. "Temple of the King" (5:13)
This is another example of why every label should have MP3s available on the internet. I checked these guys out from Century Media's page and was instantly hooked. Of course now I have their entire back catalogue on my want list. What a killer cd. These guys combine the best parts of thrash and power metal to create a killer sound. Surprisingly they sound very American reminding me of bands like Sanctuary, Steel Prophet or even Agent Steel but they are actually from Germany.
Angel
Dust-Enlighten the Darkness (Century Media) 2000
1. "Let Me Live" (5:55)
2. "The One You Are" (5:30)
3. "Enjoy!" (5:53)
4. "Fly Away" (6:48)
5. "Come Into Resistance" (5:27)
6. "Beneath The Silence" (3:08)
7. "Still I'm Bleeding" (4:19)
8. "I Need You" (5:24)
9. "First In Line" (1:16)
10. "Cross of Hatred" (5:00)
11. "Oceans of Tomorrow" (4:20)
BONUS TRACKS
12. "Border of Reality" (4:54)
13. "When I Die" (9:46)
14. "Where the Wind Blows" (7:58)
15. "Spotlight Kid" (4:21)
"Enlighten the Darkness" is an excellent, heavy, thrashy power metal disc that is as interesting lyrically as it is musically, The Songs are written from the perspective of WWII war veteran who wonders about "the meaning of it all." The concept flows around the questions raised because of man's abhorrent brutality and evil inhumanity toward each other. Musically "Enlighten" continues in a similar vein to "Angel Dust" but with a bit more hook. This is absolutely one of the best power metal discs to be released in recent years.