Darkness Descends

Wish I had the Combat version of this thrashterpiece but fuck it and my ocd-ness for U.S presses only. Anyways this album at first didn't sink in to me cause it just sounded like pure shit at first. After months passed, I finally decided to give it one last shot, and my ears were miraculously pleased. If I had to say it, it sounds like Hell Awaits II. This album is the 2nd release with Don Doty and it pisses me off that people prefer Rinehart to him. Here's why this album shits all over the subsequent releases of Dark Angel:

The album from start to finish, is nonstop adrenaline pumping dose of thrash at its finest. If you can't handle the raw sound of this album because its not "clean" or it isn't "audible" well fuck you cause you're missing out just how good this really sounds once you get it. This is not your fluctuating anti-climactic metal album; it clearly is the opposite. Its more like a snowball effect. It keeps getting better and better after each fucking song. The way things kick off on the first song of this album and at the end is just mind fuck of an impression that its just the beginning! Although I think Hell awaits is a bit more darker and evil, this album has those same attributes but in my opinion, it is the most compelling and provocative thrash album to head bang to! The numbers are fast ones but the only slow but still heavy as fuck is Black Prophecies. This album manifests Dark Angel at a versatile side while not going delving into the technical side like the subsequent releases did, but still retaining that evil and fast sound. Each song on here is different from the other and each member is not left out from showing their ability to showcase it.

Not much to say regarding the guitars as they are just distorted as hell but it compliments the albums overall raw sound. I praise Eric Meyer and Jim Durkin the most on "Hunger of the Undead". Besides Don Doty's vocal work, the riffs are some of the best I have ever heard in a thrash song period. They create such an evil intangible sound that most death metal riffs sounds like nothing compared to it. The rest of the songs I could care less about it. The bass is one that makes me go "ahh" in almost every song. Rob Yahn sure knew how to add that grove to this album and such a shame he left right after finishing this album. Going back to the 2nd reason I love this album is Gene Hoglan's work on this album! He's almost as good as Dave Lombardo on this whole album although there's not much variation from him on here as after a while, it gets repetitive. Fast hands and feet work examples? Burning of Sodom for hand work and double bass definitely goes to Death is Certain. He is certainly one of the best thrash drummers right along with Dave. FINALLY the main reason why I commend this album so fucking much is DON DOTY! The guy can sing on this album. Slow, fast, you name it. He skips on some lyrics as I'm going through the lyric sheet but he manages to pull it off so well! His style is an authentic type that paces with each riff and beat on this album that I don't hear in most vocalists. He is definitely the voice of hell and fire!

This is probably the most original thrash album of the 80s while carrying those reminiscing pieces of Slayer as one might expect, but to be honest these guys were probably trying to destroy the notion that they'd be another Slayer clone. The band at the time was a lot more volatile and explosive than Slayer in terms of Speed but are about a little below when it comes to being as evil as them. To be fair they don't compromise evil at all as this record is evil all the way through especially in moments in such songs like "Hunger of the Undead", "Perish in Flames", "Merciless Death" and soooo on, but if I had to pick a favorite moment, it'd be the interlude near the break of "Burning of Sodom" prior to Dark Angel going all out: "at 12 the virgin dies!". That's another thing! Each fucking song on here has one hell maybe even 3 moments! That's what makes this album such an entity from your typical thrash album. Such an anomaly like Metal Blade era Slayer and Dark Angel with Don Doty during this era of music will never be recreated!!!

This album gets better and better after each listen, and 10 years from now, it will still stand the test of time for any up and coming thrash band that tries to better this which I highly doubt. From the Ominous opener of Darkness Descends to the hell like depiction in sound of Perish in Flames, its very clear why thrash fans deem this album one of if not the best thrash album of all time. Thrash officially hit its peak with this album and this is as well a heavy one on the ear that even most Death Metal albums can't compete with. As far as Dark Angel go, this is the only essential album from them AND one of if not the 2nd most essential thrash album of all time!

DON FUCKING DOTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!