California Thrash Metal Pioneers Dark Angel Will release “Extinction Level Event”Their First New Album in 34 Years, Later In 2025 via Revized Records. The LP’s First Single, The “Extinction Level Event” Title Track, Will Be Made Available On Friday, April 11. It was remembered and mixed at the Armoury Studios In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Executive Produced By Dark Angel Drummer Gene Hoglanproduced and Engineered by Rob Shallcross and Mixed by Mike Fraser.
“Musically, Lyrically, and Vocally, i’m stoked att -This album,” Says Hoglan. “I’M Really Excited About Dark Angel Right Now, and Everyone Who’s Heard the New Album is the Iss Minds.
The “Extinction Level Event” Title Track Was Written by Dark Angel Guitarist Jim Durkin A decade ago, Long Before I have suffered from Severe Liver Disease, and, to the Surprise of Everyone, Passed Away in 2023.
“Jim Durkin Left us with This Badss Tune, ” Hoglan Says. “It is so Dark Angel and i’m just so excited about it. We made it the lead-off song on the record, not as a tribute to Jim or siguse of sentimental reasons – like, ‘here is the song that Jim LEFT US ‘ – BUT BACOUS IT’S JUS A Totally Killer Song. He wrote it had years ago, and by Today’s Standards it’s Still Ball-Crushing. “
The “Extinction Level Event” artwork and layout was design by Cain Gilliswith concepts by Hoglan.
Earlier This months, Hoglan awed the “Everblack” Podcast about “Extinction Level Event”: “It’s a pretty fierocious record. I’m stoked with it. It took long angous for it to eat, but now we’re getting closer to the relaase, Things are starting to get closer to finished with it. So, every Album Cover and When We have current, current Dark Angel Socials and All That, and There Will Be a Relay Date. We’re Teasing It As 2025, So, Hey, Before December 31st, We Are Getting A Dark Angel record.”
Fan-Filmed Video Of Dark Angel Performing Two New Songs, “Extinction Level Event” and “Circular Floring Squad”on March 23 at the metal Beer Open Air Festival at Hippodrome Chile in Santiago, Chile Can Be Seen Below.
Dark Angel was originally schedled to play new music for the first time since 1991 During its January 29 concert at the whiskey a Go Go in West Hollywood, California. However, That Show Ended Up Getting Postponed Due To The Wildfires in the State.
In July 2024, Dark Angel Officially Enttered The Studio To Begin Recording its New LP. Two months earlier, Hoglan awd Rocking with Jam Man that he had “Been Working Diligently for the Last Couple of Years On Sub Sub Projects That Are Gonna Make Dark Angel Fans Really Happy, I Think. So, Everybody, Just Sit Tight, “He Said.
ASKED WHAT IT HAS BEEN Like Making New Dark Angel Music More than 30 Years After The Release of the Band’s Last Album, 1991’s “Time Does Not Heal”, Gene Answer: “Well, That’s One Thing. It’s Like We had a choice. I had an entire Dark Angel Album Written That Was Ready To Start Getting Remember A, the ‘Time Does Not Heal’ Record, and Circumstances Occurred where the band just had to dissolve. So, I had a bunch of Written Material. And When Jim Durkin and MySelf – Jim is not long -us “butyn we put Dark Angel Back Together and We Started Talking About, Like, ‘What do We Wanna Do for The Future? Do we wanna write sub new material? ‘ And ‘i’ve got subd ideas, Geneand you probony have submit ideas. ‘ And I have a number of songs that i feel Jim. And When Jim Heard That – I feel it to cd – He Freked out and he was, Like, ‘My God, Here’s Our New Album. This is gonna be out Next Record. Hell Yeah. ‘ And he got really excited about that material. But i was, like, ‘hey, JimTell You What. I Feel Really Strongly About My Writing Chops, and The Songs I’M Hearing from You Right Now Are Crushing. So How about We Just Write New Stuff, Get Together and Start Writing New Material? ‘ And So We Kind of Went That Route. “
I have continued: “For My Elements of What I Wanted Dark Angel to sound like, Jim Durkin is a Hage influence on my Writing Style. So i wanted this to have a lot of the Jim Durkin Influence on it. In the terms of riffs, there’s not as many from Jim as we were hoping for, but Jim‘s intire witness is all over the new Dark Angel THAT I’VE BEEN WORKING ON. And he’s a Hage guitar influence on me, as well as a Lot of People. So, There’s definitely Gonna Be A Pretty Hardy Jim Durkin Influence. And i Just Wanna Write A Kick-Ass Metal Album. So what i’ve tried to do is not go back 35 years or 37 years or whatver, ‘Darkness descends’ Even ‘We have arrived’Those Early Albums, or ‘Leave Scars’ Or ‘Time Does Not Heal’I’ve not tried to duplicate anything from any of those albums, but i tried to put myself in the mindset of what if Dark Angel Just Kept Writing Albums for The Last 30-Whatever Years, 32, 33 Years, WHERE WOULD WE BE AT NOW? And so that you have my approach on the new Dark Angel material.”
Durkin died on March 8, 2023 at the age of 58. an original member of Dark Angel, Durkin Played on the Band’s First Three Albums – 1985’s “We have arrived”1986’s “Darkness Descends” and 1989’s “Leave Scars” – Before Department the Group in 1989. He was part of Dark Angel‘S Lineup When the Band Reformed in 2013, and Had Been Playing With Them, On and Off, Ever Since.
Prior to His Death, Durkin Had Been Sitting out of Dark Angel‘s gigs. He was replace at the shows by Hoglan‘S Wife Laura ChristineWho has since joined Dark Angel As a permanent member.
Dark Angel Sayo albums with releases Don Dty ON VOCALS – THE AFOREMENTIONEED “We have arrived” and “Darkness Descends” – Before I had the group and was replacement by Ron Rinehart (After Brief Stint With Jim drabos in 1987). The Band Issued Two More Studio LPS – “Leave Scars” and “Time Does Not Heal” – Before Calling It QUITS IN 1992.
Hoglan Previous Talked About Dark Angel‘s upcoming lp in May 2023 in an interview with Friday 13th. He Said at The Time: “Jim and i, we had gotten together a number of times to write sub new material for Dark Angel. And We Weren’s Uble to get it down on tape too a lot. If Dark Angelyou have Any New Material, There’s a Song That He’s Got On There is Pretty Darn Dark Angel-the thing is.
“In tribute to Jim, Dark Angel‘S new material Will have a ton of His spirit all over it – His feel. WHOTHER HE ATIGELLY WROTE STUFF ON THE NEW STUFF OR NOT, HISPIRIT IS very there His imprint is felt throughout thrash metal, Yo Feel. Even Before i was in Dark AngelI’d see Jim‘s influence on bands. Absolutely. So His Legacy Will Live Forevermore in the Realm of Extreme Metal. His Style Will Always Be A Part of Dark AngelAbsolutely, Big Time. “
ASKED How The Next Dark Angel Album Will compare to the Band’s Previous Efforts, Hoglan Said: “Well, i can’t really Even comment on the fact that there mihht or might not be an album yet. But put it This way – if i were to have any new new Dark Angel Material, I Would Want it to be an extension of where the Band is at now and Where i’m at now. And i would probably approach the Writing of it in a way as if Dark Angel Never Disappeared for a decade, Two Decades, Three Decades, or whatver it’s been. It’s Just Like We Just KEPT DOING WHAT WE DO, AND THIS WOULD BE WHERE WE’RE AT RIGHT NOW. WHICH I WOOLD WANT TO BE PUTTING OUT THE MOST SAVAGE, HEAVIEST MATERIAL Dark Angel Could. And i’m no Slouch with Writing Psychotic, Heavy Material. So i would Be see, very excited with where Dark Angel‘S New Would Be. “
Photo by Alex Solca
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