Review by Felix on December 12, 2021.

In terms of black metal, the discussion about "true" and "untrue" bands is almost older than the sub genre itself. Thrash metal is a little bit more tolerant, but one thing is for sure. However one defines "trueness" in thrash metal, Armoured Angel doubtlessly belong to the true bands. Wings Of Death is a very early document of the Australians and already this release showed impressively that the band hated fickleness, bastardization and effeminacy.

Back in the nineties, Armoured Angel did not show up on my metallic radar. Thus, I am all the more glad that I am now able to buy their music, quite apart from the fantastic design of the red vinyl. Armoured Angel unload tons of heavyweight riffs and it does not matter that a melody line of the intelligently titled 'Christian Slaughter' pays tribute to Slayer's 'Crionics'. The Australians forge their own kind of dense thrash metal. Admittedly, the output cannot score with an outstanding production. We are talking about a demo from the early nineties and therefore the dull sound cannot surprise connoisseurs. It reflects the possibilities of a newcomer band of this time, no more and no less.

As mentioned above, Armoured Angel play thrash metal, not speed metal. I emphasise this, because the three musicians have written a lot of mid-tempo parts. Rapid sequences also show up, but the main feature of the demo are the profound riffs and their pulping effect. If one could make music with an anvil, the result would sound like these riffs. By contrast, the ordinary voice does not distinguish the band from its competitors.

Four years after the debut demo under the banner of Armoured Angel, Wings Of Death marked the first sign of life of the line-up Luck / Green / Green. Having this in mind, one must speak of an above-average performance. Inter alia due to the less punchy sound, the EP does not have the penetrating power of Communion, but the lively guitar work of 'Madame Guillotine' indicates the potential of the band and the chorus of 'Crush, Kill, Destroy' does not lack of raw catchiness. It therefore remains a mystery why the thrashing team from Down Under was not immediately signed by an ambitious record company. However, it did not happen and exactly this enigmatic omission forms the basis of the status that the band has today. Thanks to Hells Headbangers Records - the company has removed the dust from another Australian jewel, although it does not shine as bright as Communion.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10