Dark Angel

Dark Angel is an American thrash metal band from Downey, California, formed in 1981. Following a breakup in 1992 and a reunion from 2002 to 2005, the band reunited a second time in 2013. Dark Angel's current lineup includes lead guitarist Eric Meyer, drummer Gene Hoglan, lead vocalist Ron Rinehart, bassist Mike Gonzalez, and rhythm guitarist Laura Christine. They have gone through many lineup changes, and as of rhythm guitarist Jim Durkin's death on March 8, 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 their studio albums.

Dark Angel has released five studio albums to date: We Have Arrived (1985), Darkness Descends (1986), Leave Scars (1989), Time Does Not Heal (1991) and Extinction Level Event (2025). The band's fast, heavy and lengthy songs, tempo changes, lyrics, and extended instrumental parts earned them the nickname "The L.A. Caffeine Machine". Despite never achieving mainstream success, Dark Angel is credited as one of the leaders of the second wave of 1980s thrash metal, and as a progenitor of technical thrash metal. Their music has been cited as a influence on death metal and groove metal.