Wednesday, June 3
Death Angel, Vio-lence, Incite, and Cell Intruder
Mercury Ballroom | 611 S. 4th St. | mercuryballroom.com | $37 general admission | 7:30 p.m. | All ages
Of all the legendary 80s thrash metal bands, perhaps the most underrated is Death Angel. Although they came up in the Bay Area thrash scene alongside the likes of Metallica, Exodus, and Testament, their sound, derived from a wide variety of musical influences outside of the metal genre, differentiated them from their peers. But it was their third album, the critically acclaimed 1990 masterpiece Act III, that really saw the band come into their own. Mixing elements of their original thrash metal sound with funk, alternative, and progressive rock, Act III set the tone for what thrash metal would become in the early 90s. But unfortunately, the band broke up in 1991 and would remain silent for another decade before reforming in 2001.
To celebrate the 35th anniversary of Act III, Death Angel have once again hit the road and are playing the album in its entirety along with other select songs from their catalog.
Also on the bill are the equally legendary Bay Area thrashers Vio-lence, (the band that launched the musical careers of Machine Head’s Robb Flynn and Phil Demmel), Phoenix, AZ groove-metal band Incite (featuring Max Cavalera’s stepson, Richie, on vocals), and Louisville’s modern brutal death metal band with an old-school edge, Cell Intruder.
This article appears in May 8 – May 21, 2026.
