I conducted the below cleaned-up interview with Dark Angel and wrote a Dark Angel album review, which originally appeared in Deathcheese ‘zine #1 back in 1991.
The new Dark Angel album, entitled Time Does Not Heal, is slated for a support tour to begin early March. The new stuff, as Ron Rinehart (vocals) explained to me, should sound like the Dark Angel we’ve come to expect, with songs dealing with sick sex, weird scientific topics, and just your basic life stories with a Dark Angel viewpoint. You won’t need a dictionary to understand the lyrics quite as much on the new record, though. The songs will have the ultra-fast riffs, mid-tempo ballsy parts, and slow meaty sections. Although Led Zeppelin’s “The Immigrant Song” did go over well on tour for Leave Scars, as did Fear’s “I Don’t Care About You,” there’s not going to be another cover, apparently.
The Dark Angel thrash, or as drummer Gene Hoglan describes it, “caffeine metal,” of course has to continue on without founding member Jim Durkin on guitar. Durkin’s split was less than amiable as he simply left with no word. The rest of Dark Angel had actually thought that Durkin was in serious trouble, his departure being so abrupt! He later gave excuses, including financial problems and marriage difficulties. Dark Angel hesitantly put a farewell note on Live Scars (which, by the way, had absolutely no overdubs or remixes) despite Durkin’s betraying* actions, giving credit where credit is due. Brett Eriksen replaced Durkin on the Leave Scars tour and learned all the songs in about six days. He is fitting in the band excellently.
Obviously, there will be an “explicit lyrics parental advisory” sticker on the new record, something which Rinehart doesn’t agree with: “I think it’s stupid. It’s all fuckin’ politics.” Hopefully we won’t see these in the near future, but we will see a Dark Angel video for MTV, to be filmed in a few months. Well, I’m looking forward to that. ■
*I don’t know whether this was my word or the band’s from the interview. If it was me, it sounds a bit harsh.
Dark Angel Time Does Not Heal
(Combat)
The new Dark Angel is certainly a departure from past albums. We Have Arrived I heard only once years ago and can’t remember. Darkness Descends, which had a new drummer (Gene Hoglan) was a classic death album. Leave Scars, which sported a new singer (Ron Rinehart), showcased the evolved Dark Angel style, which wasn’t too far away from the last album’s feel. As is the case in many instances, if a band messes with their core sound too much they’re playing with fire, and the new, improved sound’ll come out shocking longitme fans for the worse. This has, I think, happened with Dark Angel’s Time Does Not Heal.
But conversely, you can’t always blame it on conscious decisions. Lineup changes involving principal songwriters can wreak havok on a band’s trademark sound. In Dark Angel’s case, as Jim Durkin, who basically co-wrote everything with Gene Hoglan, left the band, guitarist Brett Eriksen is now contributing to the songwriting in a big way. The song arrangements are different and more complicated now and the music on the whole is more tamed, slower, and melodic. Let me stress the weird, different quota again.
The first thing that hits you when you play the album is the long string of riffs opening Time Does Not Heal, which is accompanied by lots of different riffs on other tunes. Then Ron Rinehart starts singing “It’s always darkest before it goes completely black.” I mean, he sang a note or three on the last record for effect but this time around he sang the whole thing, so the edge of pissed offness is gone, replaced “offness” by “upsetness,” I guess you could say. There’s lot of reverb and some delay on his vocals.
The guitars are very prominent in the songs and I think Hoglan’s drums take a back seat to them, but not to say that the drums are lacking or anything. I just get the impression that the drumming struck you more on the older records a bit. Gene does some ruling rhythm guitar, though. His, Rinehart’s, and Eriksen’s lyrics are less brutal now but still very thought out. The best lyrics are probably on the songs “The New Priesthood” and “An Ancient Inherited Shame.” A lot of the lyrics deal with the concept of inflicting and coping with scars, both physical and mental/emotional. Once again you can’t hear Mike Gonzales (bass) much, except for a short riff here and there.
To conclude, Time Does Not Heal is a very moody album. The aggressive tone is still there, but Dark Angel doesn’t shred like it used to. I’d still see them in concert and everything, for one reason to check out the new guitarist (when they came to my area on Leave Scars they only had Eric Meyer [on guitar]) and also to hear the older material. I just hope Rinehart sings the old stuff like on those albums and not like he does now. I don’t like the new album much. It has its moments but they’re few and far between. There’s some cool riffs here and there, but not a whole song. ■
I interviewed Dark Angel again later in 1991, and that conversation picks up after the band toured for Time Does Not Heal and continues the story of the album.
Photo: Dark Angel in 1991 (by Ed Colver)
