Dark Angel brings their Extinction Level Event Tour to the Gramercy Theatre in New York City with support from Sacred Reich, Hirax, and Void.
As the Gramercy Theatre filled up in NYC, it was like falling back to the 1980s with some classic thrash metal in store for the evening, and that was exactly what went down with powerful sets from all the bands.
Opening the night was Void from Louisiana. They kicked it off with some sharp technical thrash as they ripped through a non-stop, short but crushing set. The band was super tight and full of energy as frontman Jackson Davenport belted out some wicked melodic style vocals with falsetto screams that had the crowd locked in and in a total headbanging trance. Void released their newest album, Horrors Of Reality, earlier this year, which features their singles “Return Of The Phantom” & “Apparition.” Definitely check them out as they bring that golden age of thrash to present times.
Hirax wasted no time in hitting the stage with their old school West Coast thrash, tearing through all the classics with songs from Raging Violence to Faster Than Death. Vocalist Katon W. De Pena gave the crowd what they wanted and was well received, as they blazed through song after song. The fast-paced old school thrash and intensity that Hirax brings had the crowd moshing it up in the pit, along with crowd surfers one after another that had security earning their money for the night. A few times during their set, Katon was up on the barricade for sing-alongs. The energy and vibe were there from the first riff to the last, and they absolutely killed it. The Gramercy was eagerly awaiting the legendary Sacred Reich to bring on their distinct style of headbanging thrash metal to the stage as they opened their set with “The American Way” from their second studio album, released in 1990. They really brought that power that only Sacred Reich can bring, with the crowd captivated by the classics. Sacred Reich has had a dedicated fan base since their formation in 1985, and they showed why that dedication still holds to this day. They never stopped killing it as they give 110% every show.Phil and the fellas blasted through a large catalog of old and new material throughout their set, as well as songs such as “Ignorance”, “Love…Hate” & “Surf Nicaragua” to close out their set. It was for sure a non-stop head thrashing time had by all.
The current lineup is straight up hard with Phil Rind on vocals and bass guitar, along with the powerful riff master Wiley Arnett on lead guitar, Dave McClain on drums, and Joey Radziwill on rhythm, which together are an unstoppable force. They do have a new album coming out soon, on their long-standing label Metal Blade Records, and it should be released before the year’s end.
Dark Angel‘s run through New York’s Gramercy Theatre was nothing but electric, as they are in full throttle mode of their North American, Extinction Level Event tour. The crowd was fully dialed in as soon as those riffs of Eric Meyers’s guitar rang through the room as he went right into “Time Does Not Heal“ from their 1991 release. From this point on, there was no stopping the fury of their thrash as the pit was fully engaged. They were reaffirmed in their relevance as they delivered the force.Ron Rinehart wasted no time in interacting with the crowd as he was up on the barricade, and, before you know it, he was on the floor moshing it up in the pit. At times, you would wonder where he went. You would turn around, and he’d be by the soundboard. He was all over the place. The energy was great as bodies were just continuously flying around the pit and over the barricade as the band tore through a vast collection of their archives.
As Dark Angle’s newest member (as of 2022) on guitar, Laura Christine was an absolute powerhouse and a total riff killer. Eric refers to her as “My little sister.” The chemistry of the current lineup is spot on. You have the beast Gene Hoglan on the drums (enough said), and the man Mike Gonzalez on bass guitar. And they bring it!!
The Extinction Level Event Tour is their first North American tour in decades, and they are just about halfway through it, so if you’re able to check out this tour, definitely treat yourself to a great night of old school thrash, if you know, you know.
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