Jim Durkin, guitarist for thrash metal veterans Dark Angel, has died aged 58.
The news was confirmed by his wife Annie, who called him “my immortal beloved”.
She wrote: “With a broken and heavy heart, I want to share that the love of my life, my best friend and husband, Jimmy, passed away Wednesday morning,” wrote Annie. “He was not alone as I was with him along with a few close friends until the end.
“He will be truly missed and no one can ever replace the love I have for him. May he rest in peace. Ever Thine, Ever Mine, Ever Ours … My Immortal Beloved. I will see you again.”
Dark Angel also paid tribute to Durkin, writing on social media: “We in the Dark Angel family are deeply saddened and crushed today with the news of our brother and founder Jimmy Durkin passing away Wednesday morning.
“We would like to thank his fans for their continuous loyalty and support. We will come out with a full statement very soon. We ask that you please respect the family’s privacy while we mourn the loss of this great man.”
We in the Dark Angel Family are deeply saddened and crushed today with the news of our brother and founder Jimmy Durkin…
Posted by Dark Angel Official on Friday, March 10, 2023
Durkin was a founding member of Dark Angel (under the name Shellshock) in 1981, going on to be known by their current name from 1983.
Alongside the likes of Metallica and Slayer, they became a staple of California thrash metal through the 1980s and ‘90s.
Durkin played with Dark Angel through until his death, with the band breaking up in 1992 before reuniting between 2002 and 2005, and then once again from 2013 until the present.
The band’s most popular album came in 1986 with ‘Darkness Descends’. Drummer Gene Hoglan said last year that the band were lining up a new LP for a 2023 release. Live gigs are also planned for later this year, but there is currently no word on whether they will be cancelled following Durkin’s death.
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