Review: Hirax – Faster Than Death
Thrash underground legend strikes again!
In the history of US metal everyone has paid their dues to the greats of the ’80’s—Ronnie James Dio, Manilla Road, the Big 4, etc. With thrash metal specifically, there’s always been a large number of great, respected and underrated bands that for whatever reason didn’t get as much attention as the Big 4, so this review is going to be a spotlight on Hirax for whomever isn’t familiar with them already.
Hirax is the band of Katon W. de Pena who is a veteran and icon of the California thrash underground. Despite having a strong start with two great, highly-regarded albums, Hirax never reached the levels of success of their peers from the Bay Area and elsewhere, and would subsequently call it quits in the late ’80s amid tensions and frustrations, shortly after de Pena left the band. However, in the new millennium and while remaining a proactive fixture in the thrash scene, Katon W. de Pena reformed the band based on fan incentive and has kept the ship going strong and steady for 25 years and counting, and with growing acclaim by many other definitive extreme metal bands and artists, in spite of a perpetually fluctuating lineup.
Photo by Jakub Smolík
Musically, Hirax is classic thrash metal, although their style branches between thrash, speed and hardcore, and it could be argued that Hirax are equally important and definitive to crossover thrash as are Suicidal Tendencies and D.R.I.. Nevertheless, while Hirax has always had a punk attitude and sense of brevity, the music is firmly rooted in pure thrash metal, ever since their original run and their reunion and continuation. The obvious and most significant aspect of this new album titled Faster Than Death is Hirax’s distinctive style, marked by de Pena’s unmistakable vocals. Despite de Pena being the sole original member, and with a decade between their split and reunion, plus a myriad of musicians coming and going, Hirax’s sound remains consistent and distinct. With the wonders of modern technology and a professionally crisp production, the band is sounding as good as ever.
The major issue I have with the album—and this is in no way a dig at the music—is how, on the instrumental side, the guys behind the awesome riffs and drumming are gone. Aside from de Pena handling all the vocals and lyrics, as usual, the strings and percussion were handled by Neil Metcalf and Danny Walker respectively. (Metcalf also handled most of the songwriting.) It’s a shame that they’re no longer in the band because they’re great musicians, but on the record you can hear how well they click with de Pena, and that chemistry plays a large role in how good and enjoyable the record is. Alas, their contributions and talents are still on record for posterity, and one of Katon W. de Pena’s talents is having a great ear to find killer musicians to bring onboard to Hirax.
Katon W. de Pena with Tom G. Warrior.
Katon W. de Pena with Tom Angelripper.
There’s very little for me to complain about or critique here; Hirax is just a well-oiled machine under the guidance of de Pena, who as stated is an underground fixture, and operates under the Motörhead school of thought and consistency. One plus that Hirax has is that because they don’t release albums terribly often, and each album has had a different lineup for the most part, the band is fresh enough for each record to stand on its own while being a worthy addition to their small but great back-catalog. The one drawback I do have to mention is that if you’re not into thrash metal, or the more punkish leanings and very brief songs, this record is probably not for you. I seriously cannot recommend Hirax enough, and while you should definitely listen to their first two records, this is also a good place to start, and incidentally, you should also listen to more Black artists in general, in metal or otherwise.
4/5 Flaming Toilets ov Hell
Faster Than Death releases February 28 through Armageddon Label.
