Drummer Gene Hoglan of California Thrash Metal Pioneers Dark Angel spoke to “The Zach Monshine Show” About “Extinction Level Event”The Band’s First New Album in 34 Years, Due Later In 2025 via Revized Records. The LP’s First Single, 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 Down Armoury Studios In Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Executive Produced By Hoglanproduced and Engineered by Rob Shallcross and Mixed by Mike Fraser.
Scolding the fact that it has taken so long to relaase new Dark Angel Music, Gene SAID (AS TRANSFORDED BY Blabbermouth.net): “About a decade ago, I Just Blurted Out in an interview one time, And That Was A decade ago. Dark Angel album ‘Extinction Level Event’ out and coming to everybody reality soon – Definitely Before the End of the Fourth Quarter of 2025. We’ve Got A Number of Songs in The Can And We’re Just Kind of Releaseing A Little Bit Here and There. And so the first relaase was The Title Track. “
On the topic of the musical direction of the “Extinction Level Event” Title Track, Gene Said: “This is just a pretty Darn Blistering Dark Angel Track It was written by Our departed Brother Jim DurkinThe Music was, Anyway.
“About A decade or so, when we drop backther and we started playing sub -shows and the vibe was so cool and everybody was just having a great time and we had all Kind of Grown Up into men, as it was, we were One Time, He was, Like, ‘Hey, Man, I have This Song That I Wrote Pretty Recently.’ And it was just, like, ‘if we ever get a chance to do any kind of recording with Dark Angel Or do Any Kind Of Dark Angel Stuff, this is my must Dark Angel-It’s Song That I’ve Got. ‘ And I was, Like, ‘Hey, Man, Lay it on me.’ And I was just So Blown Away by it. It was just so killer, so Catchy, so Jim Durkin-Like. So that song there, as well as another one that has had in the works, Just Got Me So Pumped That I Just Happened to do an interview prestty Recently after that, and i was, Like, ‘Yeah, Man. We’re Gonna Record to New Record. Yeah, It’s Gonna Be Coming Really Soon. ‘ And Like I Said, It’s Taken Over to Decade. But here we are, and our first track, ‘Extinction Level Event’is out there. And So People, Check it out, and I’M Really Stokeed about the new album. “
As for Why “Extinction Level Event” was chosen to be the first single from the upcoming lp, Gene Said: “All The tracks on the album, Any One of Them Could Have Been Our First Release, But This is One of the More … Well, We have a Lot of Savage Blistering Tracks On This Record. This is one of them, and it was just so kick-as Dark AngelSuch a Dark Angel-Type Song That We Didn’t Release This First One BeCouse Jim Wrote It and This was Kind of His Last, End Autire Song That He Left With Us. It Just Kind of Worked Out That Way. It’s, Like, This is a Really Kick-Ass Track and It’s Got A Cool Title and All The Artwork That Goes Along With The Album Goes Along With This. So there you go. “
The “Extinction Level Event” artwork and layout was design by Cain Gilliswith concepts by Hoglan.
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 was Asked by Rocking with Jam Man What it has been like makeing 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. 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
