Darkness Descends

L.A. thrash band Dark Angel’s second album is a complete overhaul of their earlier style, which presented primitive speed-thrash in the vein of early Anthrax and Slayer. Armed with a new double bass monster named Gene Hoglan, the band set to venture the more brutal realms of thrash.

Darkness Descends contains face melting speed, cocaine frenzied riffing at the courtesy of axemen Jim Drukin and Eric Meyer, who also deliver some frantic yet on key solo trade-offs … , maniac double bass drumming at un-dreamed of speeds, viciously evil and crazed vocal delivery by Don Doty, who goes from low growling to glass shattering screams and last but not least, a solid and audible low end from bassist Rob Yahn.

Although often labeled ‘a poor man’s Slayer’, Darkness Descends is vastly different from Slayer’s straightforward assault, as the songs are not only mindfuckingly fast, but also contain many breakdowns, tempo changes and plenty of different riffsets (see the 8:30 long epic ‘Black Prophecies’).

Although highly respected today by metalheads, Dark Angel never rose above the level of a cult thrash band during their prime, releasing two more studio albums and one live before calling it quits.