Dark Angel is a thrash metal band from Los Angeles. Their over-the-top style (extremely fast, heavy and lengthy songs with lots of tempo changes, lyrics and extended instrumental parts) earned them the nickname "the L.A. Caffeine Machine" and the motto "too fast, my ass". Drummer Gene Hoglan is considered to be among the best underground metal drummers in the world.

They released 4 demos until their debut full-length LP "We Have Arrived" was released in 1984. In 1986, Dark Angel released their seminal album, "Darkness Descends", which, along with records such as Metallica's "Master of Puppets", Slayer's "Reign in Blood", Megadeth's "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", Metal Church's "The Dark" and Kreator's "Pleasure to Kill", arguably made 1986 the peak of thrash metal. At this time Dave Mustaine asked Eric Meyer to join Megadeth, but he declined in order to stay in Dark Angel.

Two more studio albums followed, "Leave Scars" (1989) and "Time Does Not Heal" (1991), showing increasingly progressive song structures (the latter album famously containing 246 riffs) and Hoglan's lyrics dealing with (especially for thrash metal) serious subject matter, often concerning psychological issues and traumas.

After breaking up in 1992, Dark Angel briefly re-united in 2002. However, Ron Rinehart's injury forced them to cancel plans to tour and the band is on hold. Rinehart also formed the band Oil in 1997 after converting to Christianity.