Act III

San Francisco's precocious Death Angel finally reached musical adulthood (though some band members were still barely old enough to vote) with 1990's Act III. Their first album to benefit from major-label distribution and a truly top-notch production courtesy of Max Norman, it also witnessed the continuing development of lead guitarist Rob Cavestany, who literally dominated the album with his impressive chops and superior songwriting. Coupled with his generally well-thought out lyrics (sung by the still mediocre Mark Osegueda), songs like "A Room With a View," "The Organization," and especially first single "Seemingly Endless Time" seemed to confirm the band's destiny as apparent heirs to intellectual thrashers Anthrax, then in swift decline. Sadly, a number of external (sparse promotional support, the genre's dwindling popularity) and internal forces (bandmate squabbling) would make this the band's final album. At least it served as a fond farewell and remains the ideal starting point to the Death Angel discography. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia