The results are a number of largely one-dimensional, but surprisingly memorable headbanging classics, including "Merciless Death," "Death Is Certain, Life Is Not," and the vicious "Perish in Flames." Over eight minutes in length, "Black Prophecies" at times sounds like a forced experiment, but it's actually the group's first stab at the progressive thrash style which would characterize subsequent releases. To be fair, Dark Angel only had a few tricks at their disposal, but they execute them extremely well. From the very first crushing riff of the title track, it becomes obvious that the production values and technical discipline which had eluded t he band the firs t time around would be brought screaming into focus on this album - still considered a minor thrash metal classic. It took the arrival of drummer Gene Hoglan to elevate Dark Angel above the uncultivated noise fests captured on their amateurish first album, We Have Arrived and in many ways, their follow-up 1986 release, Darkness Descends, represents the group's true debut. Besides "Welcome to the Slaughterhouse," which had given them their first exposure via Brian Slagel's Metal Massacre VI compilation, the band also belts their way through such primitive, demonically obsessed moshers as "Falling From the Skies," "Hell's on Its Knees," and the seriously dated title track (replete with piercing falsetto screams). Barely more than a full-length demo (even less than that by contemporary standards), the album collects the fledging L.A. Relativity Records issued a collection of Dark A ngel's finest moments, Decade of Chaos in 1992.įor a band that later distinguished itself for its technical proficiency, Dark Angel's arrogantly titled debut We Have Arrived is as primitive as it gets. The departure of Rinehart soon thereafter convinced Hoglan to breakup the band, and he eventually joined Florida's Death and contrib uted to some of their finest albums. Hailed by critics for the sheer creative scope of its ambitious songwriting, the album was considered the last word on technical thrash metal, but arrived at the end of thrash metal's time in the limelight and sold poorly. Another extended break ensued before the recording of what is arguably their finest effort, 1991's Time Does Not Heal. Recorded in April 1989 and released later that year, Live Scars introduced new six-stringer Br ett Eriksen, who had recentl y replaced Durkin, and documented the group's ferocious live energy. After drafting new vocalist Ron Rinehart, the band recorded 1989's Leave Scars - the first of two albums which earned them the unlikely label of progressive thrash, due to the longer, more complex songs the band had begun composing. Unsure about their next step, the Dark Angel undertook a long hiatus before resurfacing with drummer Hoglan firmly entrenched as the band's major creative force. Bassist Yahn would depart shortly after the album's release (replaced by Mike Gonzalez), soon to be followed by origina l vocalist Doty at tour's end. New drummer Gene Hoglan joined the band in time to be pictured on the album sleeve, but made his performance debut on 1986's much improved Darkness Descends, released by thrash metal-friendly Combat Records, and usually viewed by fans as the band's true arrival. After having one of their demos, "Welcome to the Slaughterhouse," chosen for inclusion on Brian Slagel's Metal Massacre IV collection in 1985, the group proceeded to assemble their remaining demo tapes into a primitive, but enthusiastic first album called We Have Arrived, released later that year. And although, like many of their peers, the band's appeal would never really extend beyond the metal underground, their recorded legacy has stood the test of time much better than the bulk of their '80s thrash metal peers.įormed in Los Angeles in 1983, Dark Angel went through countless incarnations before settling on a somewhat stable lineup featuring vocalist Don Doty, guitarists Eric Meyer and Jim Durkin, bassist Rob Yahn, and drummer Jack Schwartz. Dark Angel became known in thrash metal circles for their ability to deliver some of the genre's most challenging and articulate albums without ever losing touch with its core attributes of pure speed and primal aggression.
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