Gene Hoglan of Dark Angel recently addressed claims about Metallica borrowing from his band’s sound, specifically regarding the drum beat from ‘Darkness Descends’ being used in Metallica’s song ‘One,’ in an interview with Ghost Cult Magazine.
The drummer offered a diplomatic perspective on the alleged musical borrowing. He emphasized the reciprocal nature of influence in metal music.
“I guess at the end of the day, Metallica are our godfathers, so they’re allowed to do whatever they like,” Hoglan said. “We’ve all taken enough of an influence from Metallica in every way possible. If we get to add a little back into the pot, great.”
Hoglan explained that he doesn’t dwell on the similarities. He revealed how he first learned about the connection through friends.
“There’s a lot of other bands that Dark Angel has also similarly influenced, but Metallica, they get to do whatever they liked,” he continued. “So, that’s awesome. But I never even think about it. I shoot, man.”
The drummer recalled the moment he discovered the similarities through phone calls from friends when ‘One’ was being played on KNAC radio in Los Angeles.
“I mean, I remember getting the phone calls from my pals who were hearing the song because that was like their first single that was getting played on KNAC back in LA back in the day,” he said. “I was getting the phone calls from Pal saying, ‘Hey man, have you heard that, dude?’ You know, and then the first lyric is Darkness, you know, like, and I’m just I’m like, ‘I haven’t heard it yet.’ But then when I heard it, it’s like, ‘Okay, well, there you go.’ And in one ear, in one brain and out the other, you know, I never even thought about it.”
The controversy surrounding the alleged borrowing highlights the complex web of influences that shaped thrash metal’s development during the 1980s. Both Dark Angel and Metallica emerged from the same Los Angeles metal scene, where musicians frequently crossed paths and shared ideas.
Loudwire reported that Hoglan also shared a conversation with Jason Newsted when he was in Flotsam and Jetsam. He recalled how Newsted expressed being a Dark Angel fan backstage at the Country Club in Reseda, California. This connection led Hoglan to initially consider the similarity a coincidence before recognizing the lyrical overlap with the opening words “Darkness imprisoning me” in ‘One.’
The timing of the discovery was particularly significant given the media landscape of the late 1980s. Blabbermouth noted that before streaming platforms existed, the only way to hear new music was through radio stations like KNAC, which was arguably the leading rock station in the United States at the time. Hoglan admitted he didn’t tune in much but received many messages from friends urging him to check out Metallica’s new song. This helped him understand the buzz around the resemblance.
Hoglan’s philosophical approach to musical borrowing reflects a broader understanding of how metal drumming evolved. He remarked, “Steal all you can from drummers, that’s what drummers do — it’s just how you apply it that makes it yours.” Metal Zone explained that his style itself was shaped by a mix of influences, making his sound unique while inevitably influencing others in the thrash metal community.
The incident underscores how the tight-knit nature of the Los Angeles metal scene fostered both collaboration and inevitable cross-pollination of ideas. Rather than viewing it as theft, Hoglan’s response demonstrates the mutual respect that existed between bands who helped define an entire genre during its formative years.
