DARK ANGEL Slams 'Estranged' Ex-Singer For Starting 'Unfounded Rumors'

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Classic late '80s /early '90s California thrashers DARK ANGEL have released the following statement:"Due to the recent rumor-inducing statements made by estranged ex-DARK ANGEL singer Don Doty, the band is forced to offer a premature release of information. "DARK ANGEL will reform for a limited number of appearances in 2014 in the U.S. and select festivals in Europe. These dates are still pending and have not yet been booked at this time. "The confirmed lineup for these rare and unique, select 2014 shows features Gene Hoglan (drums), Jim Durkin (guitar), Ron Rinehart (vocals) and Michael Gonzalez (bass). "The lack of responsibility that Don Doty is displaying by posting false information and unfounded rumors is creating confusion for DARK ANGEL fans. There is no 'Team Don Doty' or 'Team Ron Rinehart.' There is ONLY DARK ANGEL. We will not be a part of anything that damages this band and its reputation. "All future official statements will come from DARK ANGEL's management."Doty made an online posting earlier this week in which he claimed that Hoglan would not take part in the DARK ANGEL reunion because Gene was "unable to make the practices" due to his "many commitments."DARK ANGEL guitarist Jim Durkin said in a statement last month that any talk of the band's reunion was "premature," and added that "when I was last in the band, Ron Rinehart was my singer. And IF the band were to come back and continue. he would STILL be my singer. He was our rock when we needed him and there is NO WAY I would do this without him. He and I talk daily and are as close now as ever. If anything, all this talk has brought us all back into more frequent contact! Which is a wonderful thing."DARK ANGEL released two albums with Don Doty on vocals — 1984's "We Have Arrived" and 1986's "Darkness Descends" — before he exited the group and was replaced by Ron Rinehart (after a brief stint with Jim Drabos in 1987). The band issued two more studio LPs — 1989's "Leave Scars" and 1991's "Time Does Not Heal" — before calling it quits in 1992. Rinehart, Hoglan and Meyer reassembled DARK ANGEL more than a decade ago but were forced to abandon their reunion plans after health issues reportedly put an end to Rinehart's singing career.Asked what he has been doing since leaving DARK ANGEL in 1987, Doty told Germany's Radio Gehacktes last month: "It's a long story, and at the same time, it's a short one. I basically started a family and showed up to my last show [with DARK ANGEL] and told the guys, 'Hey, look, [I have a] baby [on the way] and I can't be on the road and do the family thing; it was just too hard for me. There were too many beautiful women in the world and there were too many other opportunities to go off the deep end, and I just could not do that. So with that being said, I took a step back and I told the guys, 'There will be a day and I will come back and we will finish what we started."Doty added that his reasons for wanting to put DARK ANGEL back together are pure. "I'm here for the fans, because they've been there for me and it's their turn," he said. "Let's get back and let's have some fun."

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