Welcome to another edition of From My Collection. I’ve noticed that this feature has been recently used to defend unsung follow ups to extreme metal masterpieces. Last month, we tackled Nasty Savage’s Indulgence. A couple weeks ago, we went Beyond the Gates with Possessed. Today’s entry follows this pattern yet again. When people talk about Dark Angel, the first album that comes to mind is Darkness Descends, and rightfully so. It has since become one of the definitive death/thrash albums of its era; a pioneering clinic in brutality. What people don’t talk about is how 3 years later, the band followed it up with an effort that, if not equal to its predecessor in musical quality (and it certainly isn’t), is equal in terms of manic aggression: Leave Scars. Today, we revisit album #3 from the L.A. Caffeine Machine and where it falls in the pantheon of extreme metal history.
By 1989, thrash was dead and death reigned supreme. It was the year that would see the release of such classic albums as Morbid Angel’s Altars of Madness, Obituary’s Slowly We Rot, Autopsy’s Severed Survival, and so forth. Many of the thrashers who dominated the underground just a few years earlier had crashed and burned altogether. Those lucky enough to score major label deals further broadened their musical horizons, in an effort to maintain commercial relevance (i.e. Metallica, Slayer, Testament, etc.) And then there was Dark Angel: Too extreme for a major label and too stubborn to call it a day.
In the 3 years that had passed since the release of their groundbreaking sophomore affair, Darkness Descends, there were some changes among the Dark Angel ranks. Mike Gonzalez replaced Rob Yahn on bass, and Ron Rinehart took over frontman duties from Don Duty. Sure, Gene Hoglan remained Gene Hoglan, and the dynamic guitar duo of Jim Durkin and Eric Meyer were as forceful as ever. However, wouldn’t this affect the delivery and style of Dark Angel’s music? Headbangers found out on January 24, 1989, come the release of their third album, Leave Scars.
Against all odds, when one drops the needle upon Leave Scars, they’re greeted by a band that’s even angrier, faster, and more pissed off than before. “The Death of Innocence” introduces the new and improved Dark Angel with a bang. Hoglan bashes away behind the kit, Rinehart screams and shouts like a raving lunatic, and those downtuned riffs add an unheard level of extremity to the equation. This latter aspect, coupled with a dense, unsettling production, gives Leave Scars a truly death metal feel, even more so than Darkness Descends. Perhaps it was keeping up with the times.
“Never to Rise Again” continues the thrashing and bashing, but at a rather midtempo pace with emphasis on the chorus. If we’re basing our knowledge of DA off Darkness Descends, this too could come off as a culture shock. After all, DA prioritized speed and intensity above all. “Never to Rise Again” proved that the band could be as effective at a slower, and dare I say more menacing tempo, as they could at full throttle. What both “The Death of Innocence” and “Never to Rise Again” have in common is that they are rather straightforward death-thrashers, unlike “No One Answers”.
At nearly 8 minutes length, “No One Answers” showcases a band who’s as capable of technicality and virtuosity as they are pure musical violence. The epic builds up with a menacing, doomy riff reminiscent of Obituary, before going for the jugular, blinding spastic riffage at thrashing speed. A downright devastating mosh breakdown dares listeners not to unleash a hellish two-step, before Durkin and Meyer trade gnarly solo licks. The band rounds it all together with more death/thrash damnation to close the song, a glorified prototype for what was to come on Time Does Not Heal (1991).
Following this hat trick is the first of a couple questionable moments on this album, “Cauterization”. Should Dark Angel have done a 7 and a half minute thrashing death/doom instrumental suite. That’s up for debate, but if they were to do so, it should’ve been placed elsewhere than following the already colossal “No One Answers”. Don’t get me wrong; some of these riffs are downright nasty, and the song has its shining moments. It just feels a tad drawn out and borderline unnecessary. Speaking of unnecessary, the less that’s said about their cover of Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”, the better, so let’s flip over to side B.
Scars’ second half opens with yet another lengthy cut in “Older Than Time Itself”. As I’ve said, while not as refined as what was to follow on Time, much of this album can be categorized as foreshadowing what was to follow. “Older Than Time Itself” is no exception. The riffs twist and turn with confusion and uncertainty, while Hoglan lays down some pummeling double bass drumming that would throw a curveball for even the most technically inclined player. There’s a lot to be said for natural talent. Hoglan had it in spades, and still does for that matter.
An eerie instrumental entitled “Worms” provides some rather unsettling atmosphere, before we’re treated to the longest cut on Leave Scars, “The Promise of Agony”. The opening riff to this one is as memorable as the riffs that make up “Merciless Death” and “Darkness Descends”; it’s fat, hooky, and memorable beyond belief. Similar to “No to Rise Again”, “The Promise of Agony” doesn’t boast the breakneck tempos which dominate this outing, but still remains effectively lethal. This then brings us to the closing tour de force that is the title track. As far as I’m concerned, “Leave Scars” feels straight off of Darkness Descends, in all its wicked, savage glory. The lyrics and riffs are utterly dismal, all the more reason which I refuse to accept this as a “pure” thrash release.
Although Leave Scars wasn’t met with the same collective praise as Darkness Descends, it did push DA through another year of touring. A co-headline run with Death immediately ensued, followed by an opening stint for Overkill later that year. The band released one more album in the technically centric Time Does Not Heal, before folding completely come 1992. An early ’00s reunion would come and go, before a second reunion attempt in 2013 cemented DA once and for all as extreme metal titans.
There was now a whole new generation of maniacs ready to rage it up to these classic neck-snappers, ones who weren’t even alive when they initially came out (i.e. yours truly). Today, DA continues to headline festivals around the globe, playing selections off Darkness Descends, Time, and of course, Leave Scars. Hopefully this revisit will reach their camp and encourage them to play even more off this cult classic!