Since extreme Metal bands discovered that they could use Progressive Metal/Rock influences to create a technical, but still aggressive, musical work, things improved a lot. Basically, since NOCTURNUS brought the traditional aggressiveness of Death Metal along a refined technical insight in the 90's, more and more bands appeared trying the same and expanding limits. And the French project ANGEL RISING comes to conquer many fans with "Angel Rising", its first release.

It's a Progressive Thrash/Death Metal format heard on this album, and it gathers influences from names as METALLICA (the catching riffs from "...An Justice for All" age can be felt) , MEGADETH, SEPULTURA (on vocals and for some Groove Metal feeling that fills some songs), and DEATH are presented, but things work out in a personal and energetic form. And some hooking melodies can be heard in many moments. The sound quality of "Angel Rising" is very good, allowing the songs to be heard loud and clean, but bearing the aggressiveness and weight. Of course that it could be better (the final result sounds a bit 'rigid' sometimes), but they're in a very good way, indeed.

"Pull the Trigger" with its extreme speed (but with a great good set of guitar riffs and melodic appeal), "The Pain You Can't Deny" with its very good catchy appeal (a solid rhythmic work from bass guitar and drums where former DYING FETUS and SUFFOCATION drummer Kevin Talley is playing, and some melodies arises in many parts, even when vocals uses guttural tunes), the brutal appeal of "Disgrace" (this one has a slow set of rhythms) and "From the Grave to the Light", the hooking Thrash/Death Metal appeal of "Rise", and the instrumental tracks "Ordo Ab Chao" and "The Pain You Can't Deny" (no, it's not wrong, it's the same song, but without vocals) are proofs of a band that really has a lot to offer. It's just a matter of maturing to become in the right point.

All that's left to say is that hearing to "Angel Rising" is a very good experience, and in a near future, ANGEL RISING can become a driving force in the French Metal scene.