Dark Angel Will Continue To Appear And Work For Kenang Jim Durkin

Dark Angel (Instagram @darkangelthrash)

JAKARTA - California metal thrash pioneer Dark Angel paid tribute to their founding guitarist Jim Durkin, who died on March 8 at the age of 58.

In a statement filed on March 30 yesterday, the surviving Dark Angel members confirmed they would continue to perform and work for Jim.

"On Thursday 9 March, everyone in the Dark Angel family was told of Jimmy Durkin's death on Wednesday morning, March 8. Jim Durkin is the founder of Dark Angel, the main contributor to music and is one of the founders of the thrash. He is known as the riff master with some of the most memorable and evil thrash riffs ever. Jim Durkin is a family for all Dark Angel camps and will be missed," they explained.

"Jim has been absent from Dark Angel's show due to personal problems since 2020. Jim has asked Laura Christine as her successor, and she has joined us in Dark Angel's recent performances, as he asked us to keep it in the family.

"Dark Angel will continue to appear and record in memory of Jim and preserve his legacy, as he asked before he died."

Jim is the original member of Dark Angel who played in the band's first three albums, namely We Have Arrived (1985), Darkness Descendants (1986), and Leave Scars (1989) before leaving the same year as the release of the last album.

He was part of Dark Angel's line-up when the band re-established in 2013, and has played with them since then.

Dark Angel, who has been on occasional tours since reforms a decade ago, is scheduled to perform the entire song on the legendary album Darkness Descendants in three special concerts next month at Teragram Ballroom in Los Angeles, California.

They will do the same on June 2 at Irving Plaza in New York City.

Over the past few years, Jim and his bandmates have been working on material for a new studio album.