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DARK ANGEL
1985 - We Have Arrived.
1986 - Darkness Descends.
1991 - Time Does Not Heal.
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March 1985 - 2025: 40 years of: We Have Arrived.

The darkside of L.A.

In a glam-infested West-Hollywood, these angels would bring darkness to a now fertile thrashmetal-scene. 1985, is the calendar-year for the worldwide rise of speedmetal's domination ...here's DARK ANGEL's first aerial-strike.

Morphing between British-metal and American-thrash, they yell out loud: "We Have Arrived" and with a five-finger death-punch the crowd ends up in a "Merciless Death". Tip-toeing with Eurometal signatures, "No Tomorrow" and the classical-guitar introed "Hell's On It's Knees" bleeds raw power.

The speed rumble of "Falling From The Sky", supported by the chainsaw attack of "Welcome To The Slaughterhouse" lays the table for the band's next year's brutal exhibition.

Release on tiny label Metal Storm Records, the band would soon join the Combat Records cult and push the boundaries of extreme. Adding Gene Hoglan on drums and taking on the other big names in thrashmetal head-on, this riot was heating up.

Focused through pain's invention madness DARK ANGEL would craft an historic slab of brutal history: 1986's grandiose Darkness Descends LP.

RIP Jim Durkin (1965-2023)

*
We Have Arrived = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2HzpHGcwIk&list=PLoyfDSVjR2gDi8ngOm6gczpS-3Ppfr6fn
Live in Anaheim in 1985
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lAex4XiON-w

November 17, 1986 - 2021: 35 years of: Darkness Descends.

The race is ON !

The 1985-86 era is the epitome for speedmetal ...thrashmetal's expansion. KREATOR, VOÏVOD, POSSESSED, RAZOR and the dark one. Their 1985 debut We Have Arrived LP is a supercharged NWOBHM release. Enter drum-mammoth Gene Hoglan ...let's hear how fast could they go.

The title-track sneaks in and destroys any barricade in sight. At the 1:35sec the tornado steams at full power. Speed and aggression is spewed with hate in mind. The fire is ablazed and ready for the steel-melting point with "The Burning Of Sodom", a fast-friction cut. All RPMs are in motion on "Hunger Of The Undead" in a blast of raging leads and speedmetal drumming, while the philosophically-titled "Death Is Certain (Life Is Not)" is yet again, another demented avalanche of bloodshed riffs.

They have arrived ! Autumn 1986: Game Over, Reign In Blood, Peace Sells ...But Who's Buying and the Darkness Descends LP. No needs for nukes when we have this actual heavymetal Declaration Of War.

The boys will mature and come back for more audio-violence with new screamer Ron Rinehart on 1989's riff-o-rama Leave Scars LP.

*
Darkness Descends = full LP
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hDDTmpw3fYg&list=OLAK5uy_mMi7V_SoPZMm8gLqbve1RciAi5oDjIIUg
Live in 1987
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eElRvF7ig2I

February 19, 1991 - 2026: 35 years of: Time Does Not Heal.

Persistence of time.

Twisted into form at the pinnacle, thrashmetal's era was at it's last lap. Bringing to the table a staggering 246 riffs, the scars may have healed, yet the winged DARK ANGEL now soars above the scene.

A maelstrom rides downtown, as the title-track for "Time Does Not Heal" provide top-draw mosh. This architecture is bullet-proof, as displayed on "The New Priesthood" and the 9min+ "An Ancient Inherited Shame". Colossal, just like the city they represent, filled with "Pain's Invention, Madness", this thrash intervention is a vulgar display of power, as they leave the crowd in "Trauma And Catharsis".

The los ANGEL was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

1990-91 would be the last epoch for classic thrash, as METALLICA would trash the genre in Summer 1991. Disintegrating in late '92, skinsman Gene Hoglan would spring back in action in many, many, many, many bands. Kickstarting his collaboration-career as part of the renewed DEATH.

Time did heal ...as the new millennium would eventually be thrashmetal heahlty again. Yet it would take a full 34 years to receive new recorded DARK ANGEL material. The landing would arise with 2025's Exctinction Level Event CD.

*
Time Does Not Heal = full CD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBoO3VIUxyg&list=PLkROH3Eqs0T-6ucO52b4ba-voJNxm9T2Y
Live in London in 1991
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNFD79GlQzk

more DARK ANGEL:

#The Ultimate Revenge 2