Dark Angel (band)

Dark Angel is an American thrash metal band from Downey, California, that formed in 1981. The band's current lineup includes guitarists Eric Meyer and Laura Christine, drummer Gene Hoglan, bassist Mike Gonzalez and frontman Ron Rinehart. In its history, they have gone through many lineup changes, and as of guitarist Jim Durkin's death in March 2023, there are no original members left in the current lineup of Dark Angel. Meyer, who joined in 1984, is the only member to appear on all of their 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 they have been cited as a strong influence to the death metal genre.