Dark Angel returned to the studio after 34 years.
Formed in 1981 under the name Shellshock, the band changed its name in 1983 and made a name for itself in Thrash Metal. Four albums were released before the band split up in 1992, followed by a few live performances between 2002 and 2005, then another hiatus until 2013.
Since then, the band has mainly played at festivals, but it was in 2025 that Gene Hoglan (drums, Dethklok, ex-Testament, ex-Death, ex-Strapping Young Lad…), Eric Meyer (guitar, Bloodmoon Ritual, ex-Hunger), Mike Gonzalez (bass, Bloodmoon Ritual, Viking), Ron Rinehart (vocals, ex-Hunger) and Laura Christine (guitar, ex-Warface) signed with Reversed Records to release Extinction Level Event, their fifth album.
The late Jim Durkin, founding guitarist of the band who passed away in 2023, also participated in its writing.
We begin with the title track Extinction Level Event, which features a short sample before the assault really kicks in, transporting us straight back to the 90s with an Old School sound, but obviously with a more modern mix, highlighting Ron‘s vocals. The band also offers some backing vocals to accompany certain passages, as well as an acceleration of the rhythm for the solos, then moves on to Circular Firing Squad, which remains in this aggressive atmosphere and doesn’t shy away from exploiting its roots with energetic, jerky patterns. However, the track is fairly regular and easy to headbang to, as is Woke Up to Blood, which takes a while to get going before offering a fairly rhythmic sound that will probably appeal to fans of unorganized crowd movements. The screeching leads are a little out of place, but the vocals remain fairly raw, allowing the song to stay on a familiar note before speeding up on Apex Predator, which follows with vindictive riffs that will easily appeal to early fans. The track is solid, and you can easily feel the aggressive spirit, whereas Sea of Heads seems a little calm in comparison, still making good use of its harmonic riffs to set the pace until Atavistic, which in turn builds up and already looks more promising for getting a crowd moving to see the American Thrash legend in action. The riffs follow each other in a fairly repetitive manner, and we end up reaching Scalar Weaponry after a rather chaotic solo, but this new track raises the bar and makes us want to headbang as the band goes wild at full speed. This track is simply the best in my ears since the beginning of the album, regaining all the necessary dynamism before giving way to Scarface the Room, which sticks to effective patterns, but also features furious vocals that make us want to raise our fists in anger. We continue with E Pluribus Nemo, another track that starts off fairly slow and features unsettling sounds before regaining some semblance of strength, but retaining a strange approach to the vocals and even marking an unexpected pause before resuming. Terror Construct follows but remains locked in this consistency, barely disturbed by the solo, then it is with the energetic Extraction Tactics that the album comes to an end, undoubtedly the best composition of the eleven, whether for its enthusiasm or the changes in rhythm that finally keep us on the edge of our seats.
Dark Angel wanted to mark their return with a new album, but it’s clear that the band no longer has the same power as before. The musicians remain talented individually, but Extinction Level Event has only a handful of truly interesting tracks to offer.
50/100
