MARK OSEGUEDA On Next DEATH ANGEL Album: 'We're Definitely Writing It'

In a new interview with Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda spoke about the possibility of a new album from him and his bandmates coming out in 2026, after the arrival of two new singles in 2025, "Wrath (Bring Fire)", which was first made available in May, and "Cult Of The Used", which came out in November. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I don't know if it's coming in the new year, but we're definitely writing it. We're in the writing stage, for sure, and we're gonna be demoing stuff throughout the year. We're definitely working on a full-length. And a full-length is coming… I don't have a release date. We don't even have a studio booked for time to actually track the record, but I would imagine it'd happen by the tail end of next year, as far as getting in the studio. I don't know about a release date. So there you go. But we're writing — we're actively writing. There will be a tenth DEATH ANGEL record — by hook or crook. [Laughs]"

Regarding why DEATH ANGEL decided to release two new songs while still working on material for a new full-length album, Mark said: "Well, we recorded a few songs, for sure, but it's just kind of also to keep the buzz up and let people know we're still here and we're throwing down. And we have plans to release a full-length, but we don't want people to forget about us either."

After MikeZ noted that DEATH ANGEL isn't a "nostalgic act just leaning on the catalog", Mark concurred. "Exactly," he said. "And I don't think that's something we've ever done. As a matter of fact, we take so much pride in our — especially all the releases with this particular lineup, from 'Relentless Retribution' [2010] all the way through 'Humanicide' [2019], I think those albums definitely stand up with our classic records. And a lot of the fans, some of them don't even know the original early DEATH ANGEL mach one material as good as they do the new material. The new material turned them on to us. So we're fortunate in that regard that we're one of those bands that don't have to rely on our back catalog."

Last month, DEATH ANGEL guitarist Rob Cavestany told Nikki Blakk of the San Francisco Bay Area radio station 107.7 The Bone about the possibility of a new DEATH ANGEL album seeing the light of day in the not-too-distant future: "The timing needs to be right. We need a big chunk of clearance of time to properly support a full-length album and for all the effort it takes to release a full-length album. That being said, our next album will be our tenth album, and I'll be damned if we stop short of ten. I'll be damned if we stop shore of ten. And most of it's written already… I can say that we haven't begun recording the album, but there are absolutely demos, recordings of the music and songs that are being created. And it's been happening for years. The songs that are being released, the singles that we have, they were made to be singles. So those were a different mindset from the album that has its own entirety of the collection of songs that belong together for a record. We're not rushing the process. And also just due to life and scheduling and things, the timing wasn't right. We need clearance to do the full thing going, and it just hasn't happened as of yet. And then now it was the 35th anniversary of 'Act III' this year. Next year's the 40th anniversary of our debut album, 'The Ultra-Violence'. So these things kind of like inspire us to do some live activity based on those records, because of those milestone celebrations of those birthdays."

Asked if he thinks fans can expect to see a new DEATH ANGEL album in 2026, Rob said: "Released in '26? I'd have to say that might be wishful thinking. But it's not impossible. And I'm dying, dying, dying to record these songs. So we're really trying to make it happen."

Rob also addressed the fact that DEATH ANGEL pulled out of its fall 2024 tour as the support act for W.A.S.P. because of scheduling conflicts with SLAYER guitarist Kerry King's solo band, which features Mark as the lead singer. He said :"You kind of learn to pivot instead of sit there just in anguish that things aren't going exactly how you want them to go. So, during this time I've come to evolve myself in such a way, and I think the whole band has had to, because of all the stuff. So, we're in a good space. We did have a moment there of being very antsy and kind of upset that we weren't able to do this or that, or things went this way or that… But you come to accept that. Such is the way, especially in this business. We're not the only ones that have to deal with changing circumstances. And you need to get through it, pick your sorry ass up off the ground, slap yourself around, take some deep breaths and then just see what you're gonna do next."

Rob was also asked if there are now more open communication lines between the DEATH ANGEL bandmembers, particularly since Mark publicly admitted he didn't inform his DEATH ANGEL bandmates of his involvement with Kerry's group until right before it was officially announced. Rob said: "Yes. The communication has definitely improved as of late. But again, like Gilda Radner said on 'Saturday Night Live', if it's not one thing, it's another. And damn if that ain't true. So, if it isn't one thing, it's another. So we're used to that by now. And it actually does make you grow as a person, if you utilize it the right way and keep your head together, and it does make you better at dealing with shit, because there's always stuff to deal with. And then you also realize that it's kind of weird because these things inadvertently send you down different paths. So if things didn't happen as they did, we wouldn't even be doing [a tour celebrating the 35th anniversary of] 'Act III' right now. But the idea came out of because of one thing to the other, and then so since we weren't able to deal with our new album right now, like, what are we gonna do? And then through our conversations, it came up. I must admit I was a hard sell at the beginning. It was never a plan to do this. It wasn't, like, "Eventually we're gonna do that.' It was just, like, we just move forward. I'm not trying to milk stuff from the past or whatever. But it just happened. And, actually, Ted [Aguilar, DEATH ANGEL guitarist] was very instrumental in convincing me."

DEATH ANGEL's fall 2025 U.S. tour features support from VIO-LENCE (replacing originally announced support act TOXIC HOLOCAUST),LIONS AT THE GATE and MISFIRE. The trek kicked off on November 26 at the Oriental Theater in Denver, Colorado and will wrap with two Christmas shows on December 18-19 at The Fillmore in San Francisco, California.

Osegueda is the featured singer on King's debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which arrived in May 2024 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

DEATH ANGEL released a live album titled "The Bastard Tracks" in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast. Recorded live at The Great American Music Hall in their hometown of San Francisco on May 22, 2021, and streamed live soon after, "The Bastard Tracks" was described in a press release as "a deep-cuts collection of rarely and never performed songs from the band's catalog" that was released digitally and on CD, vinyl and Blu-ray.

In October 2020, DEATH ANGEL released a four-song EP, "Under Pressure". The effort included a cover of QUEEN + David Bowie's "Under Pressure", followed by a new track titled "Faded Remains", plus acoustic versions of "Act III"'s classic "A Room With A View" and "Humanicide"'s "Revelation Song". The EP was mixed by Max Norman (OZZY OSBOURNE, MEGADETH, BAD COMPANY) and mastered by Ted Jensen (LAMB OF GOD, MACHINE HEAD, HALESTORM).

DEATH ANGEL's latest album, "Humanicide", was released in May 2019 via Nuclear Blast. The LP saw DEATH ANGEL returning to producer and friend Jason Suecof (DEICIDE, TRIVIUM) of Audiohammer studios for the recording and mixing, along with the mastering of the legendary Ted Jensen (SLIPKNOT, PANTERA) of Sterling Sound, who added the final touches and brought it all to life, with artist Brent Elliott White (LAMB OF GOD, MEGADETH) providing the ominous cover artwork.

In March 2020, DEATH ANGEL drummer Will Carroll spent almost two weeks on a ventilator in an intensive care unit at a Northern California hospital after being diagnosed with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. He first got sick when he and the rest of DEATH ANGEL spent more than a month on the road in Europe with TESTAMENT and EXODUS as part of "The Bay Strikes Back 2020" tour.

DEATH ANGEL was nominated for a Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the "Humanicide" title track. It was the group's first Grammy nomination.

Carroll joined DEATH ANGEL in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original drummer, Andy Galeon.

Photo credit: Stephanie Cabral