Death Angel guitarist Ted Aguilar reflected on modern heavy music, noting how band identity has changed since the early Bay Area thrash era.
In a new interview with “Pipeman“, the veteran musician discussed how early thrash groups intentionally blended complex guitar work, punk rock aggression, and New Wave of British Heavy Metal melodies to carve out distinct sonic signatures that separated them from their peers. While Aguilar praised the sheer technical proficiency of today’s players, he noted that a reliance on digital isolation has diluted the organic chemistry that defined older generations.
During the conversation, Aguilar clarified that his observations are not a dismissal of modern musicianship, but rather a critique of an oversaturated landscape where individual bands struggle to stand out.
“There’s nothing against the metal bands of today, and the good thing about it is there’s a lot of them — maybe a little too much sometimes. It’s oversaturated. And they’re keeping it alive. They’re carrying the torch. But I grew up in a time where thrash metal, Anthrax sounded different from Overkill, DEATH ANGEL sounded different from Testament. They had their own sound, but it was thrash. Of course, they were all influenced by the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal and punk rock, and, of course, Metallica; everyone was influenced by Metallica and Exodus, ’cause they were in the forefront. But everyone just said, ‘We want that aggression, but our style.’ For example, [Death Angel singer] Mark [Osegueda] doesn’t sound like [Testament singer] Chuck Billy. Chuck Billy doesn’t sound like [Vio-lence frontman] Sean Killian, and no one sounds like Zetro [former Exodus vocalist Steve Souza],” he explained (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
According to Aguilar, the root cause of this stylistic blending stems from how emerging musicians interact with their instruments and each other. The rise of social media influencers and online video platforms has allowed individual players to achieve staggering technical heights in isolation, yet it often leaves them unequipped for the collaborative friction of a traditional rehearsal space.
“My gripe about today’s metal, and this is just me and it’s no diss to these bands, I can’t tell who from who… And I think metal nowadays, there’s some incredible players — like, oh my God, they could run circles around us, and they’re very talented, where then it’s just, like, you figured out your instrument together as a band: ‘Let’s write songs. Let’s do covers.’ You were figuring it out together, where in this day and age, and, again, there is no diss, ’cause there’s amazing musicians out there. Incredible, like, oh, man, I wish I could do it. What’s in the water today that you could run circles around everyone? But it’s just the YouTubers and the influencers or whatnot, where then it’s just, like, you had to figure out, you had to be a band together. There’s something about being in a room together, with everyone learning from each other, bouncing ideas, instead of you’re all by yourself, then you finally join a band and you’re so used to being by yourself, you don’t know how to click with another musician… That’s the organic way back then. It’s just, like, you get in a room, ‘let’s play’, and you go home and you kept playing. You write, you come back, ‘Hey, guys, I got this idea,’ and you work on it together. Now — I mean, pros and cons. There’s pros and cons to everything. Like anything in life. You have the technology where you could write riffs and send it to somebody, they learn it, and you could record. But you still gotta get in a room… There’s a synergy where a human contact — you get to see someone’s face, how they feel about it, what they contribute, and maybe the disagreements or whatever,” he concluded.
Aguilar’s commentary on live synergy aligns with Death Angel‘s own operational longevity. The current lineup, consisting of vocalist Mark Osegueda, lead guitarist Rob Cavestany, rhythm guitarist Ted Aguilar, bassist Damien Sisson, and drummer Will Carroll, has remained completely unbroken for nearly two decades, cementing their reputation as a highly lethal live act.
To mark the 35th anniversary of Act III, Death Angel embarked on a special celebratory tour featuring a full performance of the album from start to finish. The shows also incorporated select highlights from across their broader catalog, giving longtime fans a rare, immersive live experience. The run spanned major U.S. cities as well as multiple Bay Area hometown dates, including two advance sold-out nights at the iconic Fillmore. The Act III anniversary tour is set to continue through 2026 and 2027, with further dates still to be announced.
The group also continues to build on the creative momentum of late 2025, which saw the release of two standalone singles: the high-velocity thrash attack “Wrath (Bring Fire)” and the socially conscious anthem “Cult Of The Used“. The anniversary tour dates are scheduled to extend across 2026 and 2027.
Death Angel Act III Tour Dates (w/ Vio-Lence & Incite):
- 6/12 – Boise, ID @ Shrine Ballroom
- 6/14 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox
- 6/16 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
- 6/17 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
- 6/18 – San Luis Obispo, CA @ Fremont Theater
- 6/19 – Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory
- 6/20 – Ventura, CA @ Ventura Music Hall
- 6/21 – Santa Cruz, CA @ The Catalyst
