Dark Angel’s Exinction Level Event Tour Hits Ventura

West Coast thrash metal legends Dark Angel brought their first tour in over thirty years to the Majestic Ventura Theater on Friday, September 6 for the second stop. The band is touring in support of their fifth studio album Extinction Level Event, their first album since 1991.  

Void, the thrash metal band from Lafayette, Louisiana opened the show. Formed in 2019, this was the only new band on the lineup, but their sound and style are throwbacks to the ‘80s. Unlike many of their sludge metal neighhbors from Louisiana, this was pure thrash metal. 

HIRAX, another pioneering California thrash band, was up next with a fast and furious set. While HIRAX has been touring in recent years, the band hadn’t released a studio album in 11 years until this year’s Faster than Death. HIRAX has opened tours recently for Exodus and Death Angel and Voivod and Prong in addition to this tour, but they put on a high-energy and engaging show that is worthy of a headliner slot.

Up next was another headliner-worthy act, Sacred Reich, with a powerful performance. Previously credited with being leaders of the second wave of thrash and groove metal, the band is enjoying a well-deserved resurgence. The return of Dave McClain on drums, the addition of Joey Radziwill on guitar, and the release of Awakening in 2019 (the first album since 1996’s Heal) have revitalized the fanbase. The band sounds as strong as ever.

After an already amazing show by the stacked lineup, Dark Angel finally took the stage. This is the first Dark Angel tour since the early ‘90s, and Vocalist Ron Rinehart clearly missed the crowd frequently jumping off stage to interact at the barricade or in the crowd. Although the band is often compared to Slayer and given credit for being thrash metal pioneers, they never had that kind of mainstream success. With the Extinction Level Event album release and tour, maybe Dark Angel will finally get their due.

Sept 30 – Norwalk, CT – District Music Hall%

Oct 1 – Pittsburgh, PA – Spirit Hall%

Oct 2 – Cleveland, OH – House of Blues%

Oct 3 – Chicago, IL – Reggies%

Oct 4 – Minneapolis, MN – Varsity Theater%

Oct 6 – Denver, CO – Oriental Theater^

Oct 7 – Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot^

Oct 8 – Boise, ID – Shrine Social Club^

Oct 10 – Vancouver, BC – Rickshaw Theatre^

Oct 11 – Portland, OR – Roseland Theater^

Oct 12 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon^

Oct 15 – Berkeley, CA – UC Theatre&

Oct 16 – Los Angeles, CA – The Belasco&

% with Sacred Reich, Hirax, Interceptor

^ with Sacred Reich, Vio-Lence, Midnight, Interceptor

& with Sacred Reich, Vio-Lence, Hirax, Midnight, Interceptor

DARK ANGEL

SACRED REICH

HIRAX

VOID