Fallen Angels
Engines of Oppression

September 2010
Released: 2010, Metal on Metal Records
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Luxi Lahtinen

Thrashers Fallen Angels from Seattle, WA, left a pretty indelible impact on me when I got to hear their debut album, titled RISE FROM ASHES, which was released in 2008. Fallen Angels´ early Dark Angel/early Slayer influenced thrash gave me definitely enough of those needed kicks to keep my interest up in their future endeavors; I found so much so-called kick-ass value from their madly raging old-school thrash.



The band´s 2nd album, ENGINES OF OPPRESSION, is a little bit of a different effort from them, still maintaining those tiny Dark Angel and Slayer influences here and there, but this time venturing into more technical and more complex territories musically than before, while still keeping things on an aggressive and brutal level of thrash though. Add a dose of Toxic, some Realm, some Atrophy and some of these other more technical-orientated speed/thrash bands in for a good measure – and you get a picture of what ENGINES OF OPPRESSION might be all about, I guess.



Overall Fallen Angels´ 2nd album is a more mature and refined wild beast all in all, having more of everything really. Beautiful acoustic guitar interludes – more shredding, blistering solos and an increased amount of sense for more technical song structures are some of those elements that have intruded into Fallen Angels´ songs on ENGINES OF OPPRESSION – and it all sounds like the guys have chosen the right path for the evolution of becoming the next worth following thrash act – at least in the eyes of the devoted thrash community anyway.



From a savage, high-octane riff fest in “Legacy of Pain” to a mid-paced, pounding skull crusher “Descension into Madness”, Fallen Angels not only show their true ability to write thrash songs that stand out effortlessly, but are also determined to get their name on people´s lips for good – along with the excellence of their 2nd album, ENGINES OF OPPRESSION. This stuff is meant to kill, even from a long distance.