Dark Angel‘s comeback single, “Extinction Level Event,” the title track from their first album in 34 years, has drawn a mixed reaction from fans since its release last Friday (April 11). The album, also titled Extinction Level Event, is slated for release later in 2025 via Reversed Records. It was recorded and mixed at Armoury Studios in Vancouver, with Gene Hoglan serving as executive producer, Rob Shallcross as producer and engineer, and Mike Fraser handling the mixing.
The title track, “Extinction Level Event,” was written by Durkin ten years prior to its release. Tragically, he later battled severe liver disease and unexpectedly died in 2023.
The new track sparked immediate debate online. One longtime fan commented on Facebook: “I was just listening to ‘Time Doesn’t Heal‘ this week, man, Ron‘s (Rinehart) vocals were top notch. Listening to this song i was like: ‘Is that really Ron? What happened to his voice?’ Let’s hope the album has better songs, this one was boring and generical. Totally not worth waiting 34 years.” Another echoed this sentiment, writing: “All that hype, then this. yawn. No Durkin, no Dark Angel. Hang it up.” A third offered a more nuanced view: “It’s OK. if it was a young band, I would say that’s a great start but for Dark Angel, it’s disappointing. Nobody expects a new thrash gem like ‘Darkness Descends‘ or a tech cult classic like ‘Time Does Not Heal‘, but something like ‘Leave Scars‘ would be awesome and respected.”
Tony Webster, host of The Metal Command radio show, was particularly critical, stating on Facebook that the song was “absolutely horrendous. It’s four minutes and 16 seconds of my life that I wish I could get back after listening to it. It’s badly written, uninspired and right now most people are talking about how terrible it is.”
However, not all reactions were negative. One fan posted: “Yeah vocals are a bit crazy but the riffs are on point.” Another commented: “The vocal is a bit different to what Ron Rineheart sounded like but that was 34 years ago. It sounds like Dark Angel which means they have their own particular sound rather than sounding like another 1,000 standard metal bands. I can’t wait to hear the album.” A third fan wrote: “It would have to grow on me but currently my opinion is contrived from their own formula with less altogether good vocals. No catchy phrasing or cohesive riffing. Doesn’t mean it won’t grow on me or that the rest of the album won’t be good. Overall, I am pleased that they’re back and hope they make a few more runs at it.” A fourth supporter declared: “People can p*ss on this all they want but I like it. A few decades pass and people expect everything to stay the exact same? Bollocks. It’s metal and crushes most of the new crap out there today.”
Amidst the varying opinions, bassist Michael Gonzalez responded directly to a Facebook comment suggesting some fans might be echoing others’ negativity without forming their own opinions. Gonzalez wrote: “It is what it is. We made an album for us and where we are at now. Whether it’s loved or hated, I’m proud of what we’ve done.”
