Dark Angel (band)

Dark Angel
Dark Angel at Hellfest 2014
Background information
Also known as	Shellshock (1981–1983)
Origin	Downey, California, U.S.
Genres	Thrash metal
Years active	1981–1992 2002–2005 2013–present
Labels	Azra/Metal Storm Combat Relativity
Members	Eric Meyer Gene Hoglan Ron Rinehart Mike Gonzalez Laura Christine
Past members	See #Former members

Dark Angel is an American thrash metal band from Downey, California, formed in 1981. The band's current lineup includes drummer Gene Hoglan, guitarists Eric Meyer and Laura Christine, frontman Ron Rinehart and bassist Mike Gonzalez. In its history, they have gone through many lineup changes, and as of guitarist Jim Durkin's death in 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'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, the band is often credited as one of the leaders of the second wave of the 1980s thrash metal movement,^[1] and as one of the progenitors of the "progressive/technical thrash metal" sound.^[2] Their music has also been cited as a formative influence to the death metal genre.^[3]

Dark Angel has released four studio albums to date: We Have Arrived (1985), Darkness Descends (1986), Leave Scars (1989) and Time Does Not Heal (1991). Following their first disbandment in 1992, and first reunion from 2002 to 2005, the band reunited once again in 2013.^[4] They are currently working on new material for their fifth studio album.^[5][6][7]