Formed in 1981 – the same year as Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, Mercyful Fate, and Sodom – Dark Angel earned a devoted cult following as pioneers and architects of the burgeoning thrash metal sound. The genre-defining We Have Arrived (1985), Darkness Descends (1986), Leave Scars (1989), and Time Does Not Heal (1991) helped shape a musical movement alongside their peers.
Renowned for their ferocity and precision, the band’s signature blend of speed, technicality, and intensity made them beloved by headbangers around the world, as evidenced by the t-shirts and patches brandished by fans in the years since the band’s original run. The blistering “Circular Firing Squad” gave the thrash faithful another taste of the new album when it dropped last month. It followed April’s release of the title track, written by late co-founding guitarist Jim Durkin.
“Musically, lyrically, and vocally, I’m so stoked about this album,” says Gene Hoglan, the iconic drummer and “Atomic Clock” who powered classic albums and tours by Death, Testament, Strapping Young Lad, Fear Factory, Dethklok, and the all-star Death tribute, Death To All.
Dark Angel’s modern line-up features classic era members Hoglan and guitarist Eric Meyer; bassist Mike Gonzalez, vocalist Ron Rinehart, and the latest addition, Laura Christine, who first performed with them in 2022. “I’m really excited about Dark Angel right now,” Hoglan says. “And everyone who’s heard the new album is losing their minds.”
The forthcoming Extinction Level Event was produced and engineered by Rob Shallcross and mixed by Mike Fraser (AC/DC, Metallica, Rush) at The Armoury Studios in Vancouver, BC.
