
DARK ANGEL
The somewhat older metal fans can probably still remember what was most likely on their wishlist for Sinterklaas or Christmas in November 1986: the mighty second album ‘Darkness Descends’ of American heavy weights Dark Angel. A month earlier – in October 1986 – Slayer had redefined (thrash) metal with their milestone ‘Reign in Blood’, but Dark Angel went one step further in terms of total destruction: tracks such as album opener ‘Darkness Descends’, ‘The Burning of Sodom’, ‘Merciless Death’, and ‘Death Is Certain (Life Is Not)’ shrouded everything into total darkness. Unfortunately only two more studio albums followed (‘Leave Scars’ from 1989 and ‘Time Does Not Heal’ from 1991), but luckily the band (with beast Gene Hoglan on drums and singer Ron Rinehart) appeared regularly at festivals. Next year also at South Of Heaven: “Maastricht is guilty. The crime is life. The sentence is death. Darkness Descends”…