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  • HIRAX

HIRAX United States

HIRAX - Hellion Rising

Info

Great honour for the „obscene“ stage to welcome one of the bands that belonged besides METALLICA, EXODUS & SLAYER to the basic building blocks of the originating thrash metal in the middle of 80`s. We are speaking about HIRAX from California! When their debut "Raging Violence" had been published in 1985 many fans were literally left totally open-mouthed. Due to their early break-up in 1988 they have never reached the top. However, they have been unerasably imprinted into the hearts of many metal fans.


In 2000 they reunited and are thrashing till now. The latest album so far from those true thrashers is this year "Immortal Legacy". No stale tales for old people but straightforward old school thrashing! The only original member of Hirax is a black singer Katon W. De Pena. He is a demon with a human face. There is truly a dynamite in his voice and if you like the vocal register of Bobby Blitz (OVERKILL) for instance, you will be drooling from happiness. Looking forward to when the darkness at the stage will be penetrated by the white of his eyes and his shining teeth. The guitar saws of Hirax will cut your arms off. Headbangers, thrashers, are you ready?

Bio

Hirax is an American thrash metal band from Cypress, California. Starting in 1984 under the leadership of vocalist Katon W. De Pena (the band's only original member of the current line-up), the band played in Los Angeles and San Francisco with the other new thrash metal bands of the area such as Metallica, Exodus, and Slayer. The band was an early example of thrash metal, speed metal and crossover thrash.


After releasing some demos, Hirax signed with Metal Blade and debuted with their first full-length, Raging Violence in 1985. The band was composed of Katon W. De Pena (vocals), Scott Owen (guitar), Gary Monardo (bass) and John Tabares (drums).


In 1986, John Tabares left the band and Eric Brecht (brother of D.R.I.'s vocalist Kurt Brecht) joined. After the change, they released their second album, called Hate, Fear and Power under pressure of the label (only having 16 minutes of length for 8 songs). After this release, the band quit the label and independently released a demo called Blasted In Bangkok in 1987.


But with tensions and disillusions in the band, De Pena decided to leave and form a new band with Gene Hoglan (former Dark Angel drummer), and Ron McGovney (former Metallica bassist). They called themselves Phantasm and released a six tracks demo in 1988 (re-issued in 2002 as a CD with the demo and live tracks). After a brief tour with Nuclear Assault, they broke up. In 1989, after De Pena left, the replacement was Paul Baloff (former Exodus frontman). But soon after the band broke up.


De Pena stayed involved in the regional underground music scene and took a job working at a local music store. In 1997, he featured one of his old songs on a split 7" with Spazz, the band of one of his friends. By 1998 De Pena had received enough fan mail and interest which encouraged him to reunite Hirax in 2000. De Pena reunited the band with the original lineup of Scott Owen, Gary Monardo, and John Tabares, releasing the El Diablo Negro EP in 2000. In 2002, the band played in Abrasive Rock Fest. In 2003, the band played in Bang Your Head Festival, in Germany. The lineup completely changed, and Hirax released the album Barrage of Noise in 2001 with James Joseph Hubler, Justin Lent (Clusterfux), and Nick Sellinger. This line-up was brief as well.


In 2003, De Pena recruited an entirely new lineup again, and released the album The New Age of Terror in 2004 with guitarists Dave Watson and Glenn Rogers (Deliverance former), bassist Angelo Espino, and drummer Jorge Iacobellis. That line-up, due to irreconcilable differences, followed in the trend of the other line-ups and broke up. The band released their fourth studio album El Rostro de la Muerte in the spring of 2009. On July 20, 2013 Hirax performed at the International Festival Convivencia Rock 2013 that took place in Pereira, Risaralda. 36 bands played in the 3 days festival and 10.000 people gathered each day of the event. On February 24, 2014, the band released their newest album titled Immortal Legacy, courtesy of Steamhammer Records.


March 2015 will see the band play in the UK for the first time in their history, beginning with an appearance at Hammerfest in Gwynedd, Wales.


Discography

Release date Release name Media
2014 "Immortal Legacy" LP (12" vinyl - green) LP
2014 "Immortal Legacy" LP (CD / 12" vinyl blue - includes CD) LP
2013 "Hellion Rising" split 7" with Sodom (orange vinyl - limited edition) LP
2010 "El Rostro de la Muerte" LP (CD / 12" vinyl plus 7" blue vinyl) LP
2010 "Noise Chaos War" LP - CD (3 albums on one - "Barrage of Noise", "Chaos and Brutality", "Assassins of War") CD, LP
2010 "Noise Chaos War" LP -12" (3 colors) vinyl - red (blood) splatter on clear, orange, & black (3 albums on one - "Barrage of Noise", "Chaos and Brutality", "Assassins of War") LP
2010 True Thrash Fest" DVD live in Japan DVD
2010 HIRAX w/Violator (Brazil) "Raging Thrash'" Split 7" - ("Baptized By Fire") CD
2008 "Thrash and Destroy" DVD + CD CD, DVD
2008 "Thrash and Destroy" double 12" vinyl yellow & blue LP
2008 HIRAX w/F.K.U. (Sweden) Split 7" white vinyl ("Satan's Fall") LP
2008 "Chaos and Brutality" EP EP
2008 V/A Thrash Metal Warriors
2006 "Assassins of War" EP (12" blue vinyl) EP
2006 "Assassins of War" EP (12" black vinyl) EP
2006 "Assassins of War" EP (12" black vinyl) EP
2005 V/A: Louder Than Hell
2005 "Thrash ‘Til Death" DVD DVD
2004 "The New Age Of Terror" LP LP
2004 "The New Age Of Terror" LP (gatefold black 12"vinyl) LP
2001 "Barrage Of Noise" EP EP
2000 V/A: Thrash of the Titans
2000 "El Diablo Negro" EP EP
1997 HIRAX w/ Spazz Split 7” CD
1997 "Blasted In Bangkok" EP Demo EP
1987 "Blasted In Bangkok" 7” vinyl LP
1987 V/A: Best Of Metal Blade, Vol. 1
1986 "Hate, Fear And Power" mini LP LP
1985 "Raging Violence" LP LP
1985 V/A: Angelican Scrape Attic 7”
1984 V/A: Metal Massacre VI
1984 HIRAX 4 song demo cassette —
1984 HIRAX 4 song demo cassette —
1984 HIRAX 4 song demo cassette —

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