Before singer Katon DePena‘s ongoing reunion in 2000, HIRAX from Los Angeles only recorded one album, two EPs and a demo. The latter showed the band still heavily influenced by NWOBHM acts such as Jaguar. The debut album “Raging Violence” (Metal Blade, 1985) is still polarizing today! It was probably one of the most extreme records in 1985, but this was at the expense of the songs and tight interplay. Although they got their act together on the following EP “Hate, Fear And Power”, there was never another album. After another EP in 7” single format, this phase of HIRAX, which is now partly revered as a cult, was over.
In 2013, four members “from the old days” recorded five HIRAX tracks with singer Rob Perkins. The demo track “Born In The Streets” was also included on an album for the first time, with the then second guitarist Bob Savage on board. But why these new recordings? Bassist and founding member Gary Monardo explains that they make perfect sense: “The reason we re-recorded the Hirax songs is that the recordings back then were faster than we intended, which washed out the sheer heaviness of the riffs. We wanted these recordings to be tight, clean, precise and extremely heavy. Since Katon‘s vocals were considered polarizing by some fans, we wanted fans to hear the songs with a completely different vocal dynamic.”
The three new tracks show that nothing has been forgotten. Scott Owen‘s riffs are and remain “signature”. The band broke up before a possible release in 2015 and only a few fans knew about the recordings. The musicians are currently in contact again and who knows what will happen in the coming months...
1. BORN IN THE STREETS
2. DEMONS EVIL FORCES
3. CALL OF THE GODS
4. FEAR THE WAR WITHIN
5. THE PLAGUE
6. PEACE AND ANARCHY
7. CRUTCH
8. ASSEMBLE THE DEAD
9. BORN IN THE STREETS (Alternative Version)