ANGEL DUST – Of Human Bondage LP (Magenta Vinyl)

Limited to 250 copies and issued with a double-sided printed insert with lyrics, band images and thanks list.

Released in the early months of 2002, Of Human Bondage marks the final chapter in the second life of German power/thrash/progressive metal band Angel Dust. The band’s first incarnation, active in the 1980s, indulged in a fairly lackluster form of speed/thrash metal that resulted in two LPs. After a long hiatus, Angel Dust returned in the late 1990s with a revolutionized line-up where only drummer Dirk Assmuth and bass player Frank Banx were left from their 1980s incarnation. The new line-up embraced a different sound, retaining some of the ballsy, aggressive pacing and riffage of their speed/thrash days, but combining them with a wider array of influences, ranging from power metal to progressive metal. The end result, which can be appreciated also on Of Human Bondage, is a dark, heavy form of progressive/power metal that nods to bands like Nevermore and Grip Inc as frequently as to acts such as Evergrey, Vanden Plas and Rough Silk.