| DARK ANGEL INTERVIEW AND CONCERT REVIEW |
The members that are being interviewed are drummer GENE HOGLAN,
Guitar players JIMMY DURKIN and ERIC MEYER, and bass MIKE GONZALEZ.
This takes place at Fenders in Long Beach, CA right after their
show on April 11, 1987. Concert review is following the interview
with also the singers DON DOTY and JIM DRABOS. At the end there is also
a concert review of POSSESSED who also played that night.
I originally published this in my zine Blastfurnace.
Photo - DON DOTY and ERIC MEYER
ABOUT THEIR LIVE PERFORMANCES
GENE - We explode from Spontaneous Combustion! Don (their first
singer that evening) dove 12 feet into the audience and dislocated
his arm and cracked his skull.
We see every band and try to do better.
JIMMY - We do our best.
ERIC - Didn't do what we could have. Fenders is out of control, so
many people, so much violence. A kid gets overzealous and throws a
shoe at you.
GENE - "Death of Innoncense" was played the first time live done as
an instrumental which is new material. Recording will be in a couple
months.
TOUR
JIMMY - We headlined the Ritz in New Jersey, and toured with Megadeth
in Virgina and Washington, DC.
GENE - Album was helped by the underground tape scene. We toured through
the US, Denver, Chicago, etc. US and Canada was great. Then was Northern US
and East Coast. We will tour Arizona, New Mexico, and the South. Combat
will send us to Europe sometime soon. Combat does what it says.
ERIC - Europe dries up and everyone goes on vacation in July.
JIMMY - New York accepts metal. Some knew us. By the 4th song DC fans
knew the words. In the East I like their scene. They get along and
open minded, no skinhead violence.
ERIC - CBGB is the ultimate shit hole, totally mixed crowd that gets along.
JIMMY - We like skins, metal heads, everyone. We hate violence.
GENE - The scene has great potential Everyone has to take a step back, and
say we want it to work.
THE FUTURE
GENE - Slayer is not accepted so much by the mainstream, but they are opening
doors for other bands.
JIMMY - If we don't make a major label, we don'[t care. We want to play for
the same people. We are not changing. We play thrash metal, not crossover
for anyone.
GENE - CAFFEIN METAL - Thinking Metal.
ABOUT THE PMRC
GENE - First they look at the lyrics.
ERIC - Some bands get it, some don't.
GENE - People have said our lyrics have more to say than most death metal bands.
EXPLORING EVILS
GENE - Not blind to them, possible belief in reincarnation or we could die and
come back. Eric died 5 minunits and had no experience.
ERIC - I Died for 5 minunits from severe asthma from not taking medication when
rehearsing. I turned blue on my way to hospital. I woke up in the hospital with
a tube down my throat.
GENE - His last words were "I'm dying". I was driving 90 mph to the hospital.
ERIC - But I'm here.
GENE - I could never give a guy mouth to mouth, but I did and he started breathing.
WHAT HAPPENED TO DON?
GENE - Jim Drabos finished the set. (Jim was band singer before Don rejoined.)
Don is very dedicated when he rejoined again. He stage dived and cracked his skull.
PURPOSE
GENE - We came here to entertain. That is the ultimate thing we are here to do.
Tonight was a steam bath.
ABOUT LYRICS
MIKE - He wants people to look at themselves.
GENE - Things that I fear and hate, I hope to make an impact on the thinking brain.
"Darkness Descends" opens people's eyes to see other things. The Intro (at the
beginning of their show) is a soundtrack to a movie. Energy hits the stage and the
crowd goes nuts. We keep the energy going and build it up by "flip you off" act.
It is an intense feeling that you can control so many people.
CONCERT REVIEW
SINGER DON DOTY STAGE DIVES FROM CEILING
DARK ANGEL started out with drummer GENE HOGLAN jumping up and down like a mad
crazy guy trying to get the audience to flip him off. We were all shouting at the
top of our lungs "Fuck You", "Fuck you Gene" while giving him the bird. The
excitement grew as this went on for about five minunits. Dark Angel play thrash at
supersonic speeds. They call their music "Caffeine Metal" and they play like they
drank 20 cups of coffee too many. Their first singer DON was just too wild that
night. He climbed up on the beam above the audience and stage dived into the slam
pit and cracked his skull. He came back on stage and sang several more songs, while
holding a towel to his head. They act like they sold their souls for excitement and
sure have it. The pit was real wild with stage divers coming out of the walls and
ceiling. Their other singer JIM DRABOS (who just left the band for Don to rejoin)
finished the set. They played "The Burning of Sodom" the best, and also "Darkness
Decesends", and "We Have Arrived" were highlights. I wonder if this band is this
wild at all their shows, and I am also interested in knowing their fatality rate.
POSSESSED PLAYED EARLIER THAT NIGHT
POSSESSED were so hot that you could just see the fire and brimstone come out of
their instruments. Those hot looking devils are the best looking thrash band, and
one of the best live also. The guitar playing by MIKE TORRAO and LARRY LALONDE
really stands out even more than on record. The band plays with a lot of power
behind all the guitars. They started out with "March to Die" and then "The Beasts
of the Apocalypse". To introduce "The Holy Hell", JEFF BECERRA (bass/vocals) talks
about drinking a bunch, and this is the next day. I am glad that I don't drink
with him. "Swing of the Ax" was their best song that evening. Then they played
"Burning in Hell", and then "Phantasm" which is about dreams, then "Twisted Minds".
They got the lively thrashing audience to shout "fuck you" as they began "Death
Metal". If you like thrash with lots of guitars, you should check out POSSESSED.
WHERE ARE THESE BANDS NOW?
Now today, May 2001, both bands are not planning to reform since they have broken
up. GENE is now drumming for STRAPPING YOUNG LAD from Vancouver, Canada, and has
also played for OLD MAN'S CHILD and DEATH. JIMMY DURKIN totally changed his look
and shaved off all his hair and a big body builder type, and he plays guitar and formed
DREAMS OF DAMNATION. JEFF BECERRA got married and has an university degree, and
no longer wants to be in a touring band. The first recording by DARK
ANGEL called "We Have Arrived" has been re released as a CD on Dark Realm Records.
I have heard other things about these band members, but I am not sure if they are true.
If anyone knows more about them, please contact me Karencorpse@yahoo.com
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