Dark Angel is an American Thrash Metal band which formed in 1981 under the alias “Shellshock” and hails from Downey, California. However, the band were forced to change their name because it was in use by another band.

Leading up to their first full-length release, 1985’s We Have Arrived, the band played numerous shows in local bars and clubs, which gained them a cult following in the then-growing Metal underground, and also released demos such as Gonna Burn, and Hell’s on Its Knees.

However, it wasn’t until November of 1986 that Dark Angel released their widely-revered sophomore album Darkness Descends, which is considered to be a landmark album within the Thrash Metal genre releasing alongside other landmark albums the same year such as Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? by Megadeth, Reign in Blood by Slayer, Master of Puppets by Metallica, Pleasure to Kill by Kreator, and Game Over by Nuclear Assault.

Between 1986 and 1987 leading up to their third studio album, the band toured heavily in support of Darkness Descends, and in January of 1989, after a few lineup changes, the band released Leave Scars. The album was well-received and peaked on the Billboard 200 at #159, making it the only Dark Angel album to date to do so. The band spent most of 1989 and 1990 in support of Leave Scars.

In February of 1991, the band released their fourth studio album, Time Does Not Heal. The band made a noticeable shift to a more progressive song style with lyrical themes revolving around that of psychological issues and trauma. Despite working on a fifth album in 1992, the band decided to split up, entering their first hiatus.

After a ten-year hiatus, in 2002, Dark Angel reformed with a new lineup. During the reunion, they performed the song “Creeping Death” which was included on the 2004 Metallica tribute album, Metallic Attack: The Ultimate Tribute. However, the reunion was short-lived as vocalist Ron Rinehart began to suffer from health problems, which eventually caused the band to enter its second hiatus in 2005.

In October of 2013, after many rumors of a possible reunion, Dark Angel was confirmed to have reunited for a second time and in November of 2014, it was announced that the band is working on new material.

Current Lineup:
Eric Meyer: Guitars (1984–1992, 2002–2005, 2013–present)
Gene Hoglan: Drums (1984–1992, 2002–2005, 2013–present)
Mike Gonzalez: Bass Guitar (1986–1992, 2013–present)
Ron Rinehart: Vocals (1987–1992, 2002–2005, 2013–present)
Laura Christine: Guitars (2023–present; live member: 2020–2023)

Past Members:
Jim Durkin: Guitars (1981–1989, 2013–2020; hiatus 2020-2023) (died 2023)
Mike Andrade: Drums (1981–1983)
Rob Yahn: Bass Guitar (1981–1986)
Don Doty: Vocals (1981–1987)
Jack Schwartz: Drums (1983–1984)
Bob Gourley: Drums (1984)
Lee Rausch: Drums (1984) (died 2023)
Jim Drabos: Vocals (1987)
Brett Eriksen: Guitars (1989–1991)
Cris McCarthy: Guitars (1991–1992)
Danyael Williams: Bass Guitar (2002–2005)