The speed-metal world lost a good one today. Jim Durkin, founding guitarist of the California thrash pioneers Dark Angel, has died. He was 58. The news was announced in a Facebook post by his wife, Annie, who confirmed that Durkin had passed on Wednesday (March 8th) of this week.
"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," Annie wrote. "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."
Durkin was a member of Dark Angel the year they formed in 1981, and he played on their seminal first three albums —1985's We Have Arrived, 1986's Darkness Descends and 1989's Leave Scars — before departing the group in '89. He returned to the band during their second reunion in 2013, and had been playing with them ever since. R.I.P.
With a broken and heavy heart, I want to share that the love of my life, my best friend and husband, Jimmy, passed away...
Posted by Jimmy Durkin on Friday, March 10, 2023
