Richmond, VA – Downey, California thrash metal pioneers Dark Angel came to level Richmond with a full out thrash assault with support from Phoenix, Arizona’s Sacred Reich, Buena Park, California’s Hirax and Lafayette, Louisiana’s Void.
Twelve years ago I met a bunch of young thrashers in a band called Possessor, these guys were incredible and they did three tours in which I was their photographer for two of them. They unfortunately broke up after their 2015 run with Viking, but watching and listening to Void tear it up brought me back to those crazy days!!! These guys blew the crowd away with a short set of songs that included a couple from their August 2025 release “Forbidden Morals”. If you get the chance to see this tour package, make it a point to get there early and see Void!!!!!
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Not to be outdone, Hirax took the insanity to a new level with Katon W. de Pena leading the charge. A number of people in the crowd were very familiar with them and were singing along to songs as the band tore through their set which included two songs from their February 21, 2025 album “Faster Than Death”. The pit was going and there was lots of headbanging. This was my first time seeing Hirax live and they kick ass!!!!
HIRAX SETLIST:
Hellion Rising
Blind Faith
Warlords Command
The Plague
Black Smoke
Faster Than Death
Drowned Bodies
Destruction and Terror
El diablo negro
Hirax online:
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It has been a few years since I last saw Sacred Reich live and their set in part delivered a message that bassist and vocalist Phil Rind told the crowd to essentially ignore politics and live in peace. At one point Phil called out an audience member and said he could become part of the “Nicaragua Contingent”. I have only seen Sacred Reich a few times over the years, but they always deliver a consistent thrash attack. And they ended their set with the popular song “Surf Nicaragua”.
SACRED REICH SETLIST:
The American Way
Independent
Ignorance
Love…Hate
One Nation
Manifest Reality
Salvation
Death Squad
Surf Nicaragua
Sacred Reich online:
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In my research for this article, I came up on several articles where Gene Hoglan was interviewed and he talks about how they couldn’t get their second album Darkness Descends out before Slayer released Reign In Blood and were called “Slayer Babies” by some in the metal community. One thing is for sure, there are some sharp tongued people in the metal world. I went out and bought Darkness Descends and listened to it in its entirety and thought “Holy Shit, This Rips!!!” At that point I really wanted to see Dark Angel live!!! Their set was mostly a good split of songs from their September 5th, 2025 album Extinction Level Event and Darkness Descends from 1986. For the people who made it out, Dark Angel decimated the place!!!
DARK ANGEL SETLIST:Time Does Not Heal
No One Answers
Extinction-Level Event
Never to Rise Again
The Burning of Sodom
Circular Firing Squad
Merciless Death
Apex Predator
Death Is Certain (Life Is Not)
Sea of Heads
Woke Up To Blood
Darkness Descends
Perish in Flames
Dark Angel online:
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The “Extinction Level Event” tour runs through October 16th with the last show in Los Angeles at The Belasco. If you love thrash, this is the show you need to attend!!!
Show Date: September 19, 2025
