Dark Angel Leave Scars

Dark Angel 'Leave Scars' (Under One Flag, 1989)

'Never to Rise Again' was a big favourite for me and Pringle when we performed our living room gigs, particularly when the 'Three Way Thrash' VHS was on heavy rotation. Our setlist would undoubtedly contain 'Leper Messiah', a Megadeth track, a Nuclear Assault song and the stand out track from Dark Angel's third LP.

Like their legendary sophomore effort, 'Darkness Descends', 'Leave Scars' powers along like an out of control train, unrelenting in its energy and speed. However, like 'Darkness Descends', I find the songs to be incoherent and too long. Imagine Slayer if they had followed 'Hell Awaits' with another album of unwieldy thrash rather than the concise assassinations delivered on 'Reign in Blood' and you've got Dark Angel.

Whilst Dark Angel clearly revere Possessed they remind more of the Bay Area's death metal progenitors second LP, 'Beyond the Gates', rather than the classic 'Seven Churches'. Further compounding their second rateness (I can hear the jean jacket/patch retro thrash Roadburn trendies spinning in their freshly dug ironic Ross Bay graves) is the decidedly average vocal performance of Ron Rinehart.

Ron is of the Sean Killian (Vio-Lence) school of thrash vocals and tries to force as many words as his thesaurus will allow him into every line of every song. Added to this is the horrible fact that he can at times remind me of he who shall not be named. Or Phil Anselmo as some may know him.

I don't dislike Dark Angel. I'd go and see them live and I'd wear their shirt because their logo is, quite frankly, awesome. However, there is a reason why Slayer still sell out arenas worldwide whilst Dark Angel would languish fourth on the bill on the second stage of a minor German metal festival if they reformed.

Peace