Dark Angel

Dark Angel is an American thrash metal band from Downey, California, formed in 1981. Following their initial breakup in 1992, and first reunion from 2002 to 2005, the band reunited a second time in 2013. Dark Angel's current lineup includes guitarists Eric Meyer and Laura Christine, drummer Gene Hoglan, lead vocalist Ron Rinehart and bassist Mike Gonzalez. In its history, they have gone through many lineup changes, and as of guitarist Jim Durkin's death on March 8, 2023, there are no original members left in the current lineup of Dark Angel, although Meyer (who joined the band in 1984) is the only member to appear on all of their studio albums. Dark Angel has released five studio albums to date: We Have Arrived (1985), Darkness Descends (1986), Leave Scars (1989), Time Does Not Heal (1991) and Extinction Level Event (2025). The band's over-the-top style (extremely fast, heavy and lengthy songs with many tempo changes, lyrics, and extended instrumental parts) earned them the nickname "The L.A. Caffeine Machine". Despite never achieving mainstream success, Dark Angel is often credited as one of the leaders of the second wave of the 1980s thrash metal movement, and as one of the progenitors of the "progressive/technical thrash metal" sound. Their music has also been cited as a formative influence to the death metal and groove metal genres.