Dark Angel (band)
| Dark Angel | |
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Dark Angel at Hellfest, 2014
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| Background information | |
| Also known as | Shellshock (1981–1983) |
| Origin | Downey, California, U.S. |
| Genres | Thrash metal |
| Years active |
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| Labels | |
| Associated acts | |
| Website | www.darkangelthrash.com |
| Members | Jim Durkin Eric Meyer Gene Hoglan Mike Gonzalez Ron Rinehart |
| Past members | See the former members list |
Dark Angel is an American thrash metal band from Downey, California that formed in 1981. Their over-the-top style (extremely fast, heavy and lengthy songs with lots of tempo changes, lyrics and extended instrumental parts) earned them the nickname "the L.A. Caffeine Machine". Although Dark Angel had never achieved a mainstream breakthrough in their initial career, their 1986 album Darkness Descends is widely regarded as a landmark in the thrash metal genre.
After releasing four full-length albums and touring extensively throughout the 1980s and early 1990s, Dark Angel disbanded in 1992. They reformed in 2002. However, Dark Angel disbanded once again, due to Ron Rinehart's vocal issues after an accident, which forced the band to cancel plans to tour further. After months of speculation, Dark Angel officially announced their second reunion in October 2013.
Dark Angel formed in 1981 under the name Shellshock in Downey, California, right around the time when the Bay Area thrash movement was beginning to take place. They were forced to change their name to Dark Angel in 1983 due to another band using the name. They played in local bars and clubs, acquiring a cult following in the metal underground. The band began recording and releasing several demos before releasing their debut studio album We Have Arrived in March 1985. Dark Angel promoted We Have Arrived with its first ever tour, opening for bands like Slayer, Megadeth, Venom, Savage Grace, Corrosion of Conformity, Possessed, D.R.I., Exodus and Agent Steel.
In November 1986, Dark Angel released their second studio album, Darkness Descends, which is widely considered to be their seminal release. Around the same, several other thrash metal bands such as Metallica also released seminal albums and started to gain more popularity. Although Darkness Descends did not initially reach the Billboard 200 charts or become a commercial success, Dark Angel spent most of 1986 and 1987 touring heavily behind the album. After the Darkness Descends tour ended in August 1987, Dark Angel fired their vocalist Don Doty and replaced him with Ron Rinehart, who would stay with the band until their breakup in 1992 and rejoin for their subsequent reunions. Dark Angel performed their first show with Rinehart at the Fender's Ballroom in Long Beach, California on January 29, 1988.
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