Dark Angel with Demolition Hammer, Memorain, and more

Formed in Los Angeles in 1983, Dark Angel delivered complex, aggressive thrash metal and was known for the albums "Darkness Descends" and "Time Does Not Heal." The band, which included notable members like Gene Hoglan and worked with Combat Records, never broke the mainstream but was influential in the metal underground. After several lineup changes, they disbanded in the early '90s but left a lasting impact with records like "Leave Scars" and the live album "Live Scars." Guitarist Jim Durkin passed away in 2023.

New York City's Demolition Hammer emerged in 1986, famous for their East Coast thrash metal sound. Known for "Tortured Existence" and "Epidemic of Violence," they signed with Century Media Records. They shifted to a death metal style with "Time Bomb" in 1994 but disbanded a year later. The band featured Steve Reynolds, James Reilly, Derek Sykes, and Vinny Daze, later joined by Alex Marquez.