Hirax

This article is about the band Hirax. For the HIRAX telescope, see Hydrogen Intensity and Real-time Analysis eXperiment. For the animal, see Hyrax.

Hirax (often stylized as HIRAX) is an American thrash metal band from Cypress, California. Starting in 1984^[1] under the leadership of vocalist Katon W. De Pena (the band's only original member left in the current line-up), the band played in Los Angeles and San Francisco with several of their thrash metal peers such as Metallica, Exodus, and Slayer. The band was an early example of thrash metal, speed metal and crossover thrash,^[2][3] yet inspired by cross-genre influences including blues vocalist Sam Cooke, who De Pena once cited as "the greatest vocalist [De Pena] has ever heard."^[4]

HIRAX
HIRAX in Pereira, Colombia, July 2013
Background information
Origin	Cypress, California, U.S.
Genres	Thrash metal heavy metal crossover thrash speed metal
Years active	1984–1989 2000–present [1]
Labels	Black Devil Deep Six Metal Blade Mausoleum Season of Mist SPV
Spinoffs	Phantasm
Members	Katon W. De Pena Jose Gonzalez Allan Chan Mathew Morales
Past members	Scott Owen John Tabares Gary Monardo Lance Harrison Steve Harrison Glenn Rogers Jorge Iacobello Mike Vega Francisco Zamudio Emilio Marquez

History

After releasing some demos, Hirax signed with Metal Blade and debuted with their first full-length, Raging Violence, in 1985.^[1] 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.^[5] After the change, they released their second album, Hate, Fear and Power,^[5] which was only 16 minutes and eight songs in length. 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).^[5] They called themselves Phantasm and released a six-track 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).^[5] But soon after the band broke up.^[5]

Reunion

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-inch 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.^[6] In 2003, the band played in Bang Your Head Festival, in Germany.^[7] The lineup completely changed, and Hirax released the album Barrage of Noise in 2001 with James Joseph Hubler, Justin Lent (Clusterfux), and Nick Seelinger. This lineup 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 (formerly of Deliverance), bassist Angelo Espino, and drummer Jorge Iacobellis. The lineup was also short-lived due to irreconcilable differences.

The band released their fourth studio album, El Rostro de la Muerte, in the spring of 2009.^[8] On July 20, 2013, Hirax performed at the International Festival Convivencia Rock 2013 that took place in Pereira, Colombia. Thirty-six bands played in the three-day festival and 10,000 people gathered each day of the event.^[9]

On February 24, 2014, the band released their album titled Immortal Legacy, courtesy of Steamhammer Records.

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

On August 1, 2024, the band released a new EP, Faster than Death.^[10] Their first studio album in 11 years, also titled Faster than Death, was originally due for a release on February 21, 2025, however its release date got pushed back to February 28, 2025.^[11][12]

Members

Hirax in 2008

Current

• Katon W. De Pena – vocals (1984–1988, 2000–present)
• Jose Gonzalez – bass (2024–present)
• Allan Chan – guitars (2024–present)
• Mathew Morales – drums (2025–present)

Former

• Scott Owen – guitars (1984–1989, 2000)
• Gary Monardo – bass (1984–1989, 2000)
• Brian Keith – drums (1984)
• John Tabares – drums (1984–1986, 2000)
• Bob Savage – guitars (1984)
• Eric Brecht – drums (1986)
• Paul Baloff – vocals (1989)
• James Joseph Hubler – guitars (2001)
• Justin Lent – guitars, bass (2001)
• Shaun Ross – bass (2001)
• Dan Bellinger – drums (2001)
• Nick Seelinger – drums (2001)
• Mike Brickman – bass (2001–2003)
• Dave Watson – guitars (2004–2005)
• Angelo Espino – bass (2004–2005)
• Fabricio Ravelli – drums (2005–2008)
• Glenn Rogers – guitars (2003–2005, 2006–2007, 2008–2010)
• Mike Guerrero – guitars (2011–2013)
• Jorge Iacobellis – drums (2004–2005, 2008–2013)
• Steve Harrison – bass (2005–2021)
• Lance Harrison – guitars (2006–2021)
• Mike Vega – drums (2014–2021)
• Neil Metcalf - guitars (2021-2024)
• Francisco Zamudio – drums (2022–2023)
• Chris Aguirre – bass (2022–2023)
• Danny Walker – drums (2023)
• Emilio Marquez - drums (2024-2025)

Timeline

Discography

Studio albums

• Raging Violence (1985)
• Hate, Fear and Power (1986)
• The New Age of Terror (2004)
• El Rostro de la Muerte (2009)
• Immortal Legacy (2014)
• Faster than Death (2025)

Split albums

• Spazz/Hirax (1997)
• Louder Than Hell (2005)
• Hirax/F.K.Ü. (Sweden) (2008)
• Hirax/Violator (Brazil) "Raging Thrash" (2010)
• Hirax / Sodom, split 7-inch SPV Records "Hellion Rising" (2013)^[13]

EPs

• El Diablo Negro (2000)
• Barrage of Noise (2001)
• Assassins of War (2007)
• Chaos and Brutality (2007)
• Faster Than Death (2024)

Demos

• Demo 1984 (1984)
• Demo Rehearsal 1 (1985)
• Demo Rehearsal 2 (1985)
• Blasted in Bangkok (1987)

Compilation albums

• Anglican Scrape Attic Earache Records (1985), flexi 7-inch, Hirax, Lp Cream, Execute, Sacrilege, Concrete Sox^[14]
• Not Dead Yet (1987)
• The Best of Metal Blade Records, Vol. 1 (1987), various artists^[15]
• Thrash of the Titans (1999)
• Thrash Metal Warriors (2007), HIRAX, Toxic Holocaust, Sabat, Kat, etc.^[16]
• Thrash Metal Assassins (2008)
• Noise Chaos War (2010)

DVDs

• Thrash 'Til Death (2006)
• Thrash and Destroy (2008)
• True Thrash Fest (2010), Live in Japan