In a brand new interview on the podcast That Steel Interview, drummer Gene Hoglan of Darkish Angel spoke concerning the alleged affect that the band’s 1986 music “Darkness Descends” had on Metallica’s 1988 observe “One.”
Recalling when he first heard the now well-known Metallica tune, Hoglan stated: “This was pre-YouTube, pre-streaming. If the album [wasn’t] out but, you needed to hearken to the radio to listen to it… And in order that new [Metallica] music was getting performed throughout KNAC. And I admit, I didn’t… I had my cassettes in my automotive… I wasn’t listening to KNAC rather a lot, however I used to be getting cellphone calls and messages… from associates saying, ‘Hey, man, have you ever checked out that new Metallica? Man, examine that factor out, man. Wait until you hear that factor.’ And I’m simply, like, ‘Oh, okay. Nicely, no matter.’ And once I heard it, I understood what everyone was speaking about.”
Hoglan went on to invest about why he thinks Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich could have lifted the drumbeat from “Darkness Descends” to make use of it in “One.”
“I keep in mind having a dialog with [Metallica bassist] Jason Newsted when he was in Flotsam and Jetsam, and ‘Darkness Descends’ was simply popping out. [Flotsam and Jetsam’s] ‘Doomsday For The Deceiver’ was out. We have been backstage on the Nation Membership [in Reseda, California]. We have been out within the parking zone simply taking pictures the breeze and speaking about steel and stuff. And he was speaking about what a Darkish Angel fan he was…. And I simply sort of questioned… I ponder how this… At first, it’s, like, okay, it’s a coincidence. It’s a drumbeat. However when the opening lyric [of ‘One’] is ‘Darkness imprisoning me,’ that’s why I used to be sort of, like…”
He continued, clarifying that he was “by no means offended” by Ulrich supposedly copying his work.
“I used to be grateful,” he stated. “I used to be, like, thanks. You made this riff, this factor that I wrote, we wrote, no matter, you simply made it grow to be legendary. Thanks, Lars. You’re the godfather of all that we do. Please, if I’ve acquired something you wanna borrow, you’re welcome to it. Completely.”
Hoglan then accused Metallica of borrowing one other Darkish Angel riff for his or her observe “Battery”:
“The primary time I heard it, I used to be, like, ‘Hey, Jim [Durkin, then-Dark Angel guitarist]. That’s the riff from ‘Welcome To The Slaughterhouse’ off [Dark Angel’s] ‘We Have Arrived’ [album].’ I used to be, like, ‘Yeah, that’s the identical riff.’
“I’m the riff police. I’m the O.G. riff police. I may inform you the place this riff sounds similar to this riff. And [I heard it] admittedly from individuals the place they’re, like, ‘We completely stole that from you… He’s borrowing drastically out of your band,’ sort of factor. And I’m simply, like, ‘Wow. That’s loopy how that works out.’
“…However Metallica are the fathers. Lars Ulrich is the godfather of what we do, Invoice Ward [Black Sabbath] being the godfather of what all of us do. So, Lars will all the time get a lot respect from me, and we respect you doing that…
“So, there you go. However we’re very appreciative to Metallica for the way they’ve helped us in that little annals of historical past.”