The Dream Calls for Blood
The Dream Calls for Blood is the seventh studio album from American thrash metal band Death Angel.[1] The album was released on October 11, 2013, via Nuclear Blast.[1] It sold 5,400 copies in the U.S in its first week of release and reached number 72 on the Billboard 200, marking the first time in Death Angel's history that they cracked the Top 100 on the American charts.[2]
| The Dream Calls for Blood | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 11, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | Audiohammer Studios in Sanford, Florida, April–May, 2013 | |||
| Genre | Thrash metal | |||
| Length | 47:25 | |||
| Label | Nuclear Blast | |||
| Producer | Jason Suecof | |||
| Death Angel chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
Guitarist Rob Cavestany described the album's title as "basically our motto"[2] and further explained that:
In our point of view the dream being our band and keeping the band going and making music for your life. The blood is all the sacrifice and all hard work that goes into it and that's the metaphor for that. It's not only meant for music. It's also meant for other people to relate in their own life and goals that they're trying to achieve and the sacrifices that it takes to achieve these goals. And along with that, there's also a tinge of aggression in there about other people that cut corners and don't quite go through all the steps it takes to achieve the goal the right way. So there's a little bit of a middle finger to those people that go about it that way and don't fully respect what it takes.[2]
The album features a guest guitar solo by the album's producer, Jason Suecof.[3]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| About.com |   [4] |
| All About the Rock | 10/10[5] |
| AllMusic |  [6] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[7] |
| Metal Forces | 8.5/10[8] |
The Dream Calls for Blood has been well received by critics. Writing for About.com, Neil Pretorius praised the album as "another triumph for a band that clearly still has a lot of gas left in the tank" and for "throw[ing] down the gauntlet to the thrash scene at large".[4] AllMusic's Fred Thomas also praised the band for remaining a "powerhouse of tight and shiny thrash metal" this late in its career, observing that Death Angel "still sound visceral and hungry decades into their work, a rare case of a band getting sharper as it goes instead of mellowing".[6] While Greg Pratt suggested in Exclaim! that the album's length was too long, he applauded the album's "super-tight rhythm section, killer guitar work and excellent vocals".[7] Metal Forces' Neil Arnold noted that the album is a more "straight-laced" thrash album in contrast with the band's more experimental fare, which he claimed stands as "simple proof that Death Angel rules the thrash scene".[8] Rich Dodgin from All About The Rock claimed the album is "An essential purchase for fans of thrash metal."[5]
Track listing
All music by Rob Cavestany, all lyrics by Mark Osegueda, except "Territorial Instinct / Bloodlust" music and lyrics by Rob Cavestany.[3]
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Left for Dead" | 5:31 |
| 2. | "Son of the Morning" | 4:02 |
| 3. | "Fallen" | 4:41 |
| 4. | "The Dream Calls for Blood" | 4:11 |
| 5. | "Succubus" | 4:27 |
| 6. | "Execution / Don't Save Me" | 4:39 |
| 7. | "Caster of Shame" | 3:37 |
| 8. | "Detonate" | 4:42 |
| 9. | "Empty" | 4:58 |
| 10. | "Territorial Instinct / Bloodlust" | 6:37 |
| Total length: | 47:25 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 11. | "Heaven and Hell" (Black Sabbath cover) | 6:47 |
| Total length: | 54:12 | |
Personnel
Death Angel
- Mark Osegueda – lead vocals
- Rob Cavestany – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Ted Aguilar – rhythm guitar, co-lead guitar on track 6, backing vocals
- Damien Sisson – bass
- Will Carroll – drums
Guest musicians
- Jason Suecof - guitar solo on "Empty"
Production and art
- Jason Suecof – production
- Jason Suecof and Rob Cavestany - engineering
- Ronn Miller - assistant engineering
- Eyal Levi and Rob Cavestany - additional engineering
- Ted Jensen - mastering
- Brent Elliot White – cover art
- Rob Kimura - CD layout design
- Nick Koljian - band photography
Release history
| Region | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Europe | October 11, 2013 | Nuclear Blast | CD, digital |
| UK | October 14, 2013 | ||
| North America | October 15, 2013 |
Charts
| Chart (2013) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Billboard 200[2] | 72 |
References
- "DEATH ANGEL: 'The Dream Calls For Blood' Lyric Video Released". Blabbermouth.net. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- "DEATH ANGEL's 'The Dream Calls For Blood' Cracks U.S. Top 100". Blabbermouth.net. 22 October 2013. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- The Dream Calls for Blood (Media notes). Death Angel. Nuclear Blast. 2013.CS1 maint: others (link)
- Pretorius, Neil. "Death Angel - The Dream Calls For Blood Review". About.com. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- Dodgin, Rich (September 11, 2013). "Death Angel - The Dream Calls For Blood". All About the Rock. Retrieved March 13, 2014.
- Thomas, Fred. "The Dream Calls for Blood - Death Angel". Allmusic. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- Pratt, Greg (4 October 2013). "Death Angel - The Dream Calls For Blood". Exclaim!. Retrieved 26 October 2013.
- Arnold, Neil. "DEATH ANGEL The Dream Calls For Blood". Metal Forces. Retrieved 26 October 2013.