Hirax
Thrash Metal Has A Soul And It’s Real

06.02.2015

Young thrashers may be proficient, energetic and very likable – after all, you really need to have the love for this music to play it nowadays, as it’s very unlikely to earn you loads of money. But it’s a totally different feeling when you turn on a thrash record from the 80s, and even more so when you actually talk to the people behind it. They are the “real thing”, pardon me this cliché, they’ve been through all the ups and downs of the genre’s long and winding road, and they’re still going strong and rocking harder than you might ever expect from persons their age. Katon De Pena is definitely one of this rare breed. His band Hirax has been around since 1984, he was into the genre at its commercial peek of the mid-80s and fell from grace with it in the early 90s, just to come back stronger and bolder at the dawn of the new millennium. But there’s no way Katon or his band can be considered relics of a past era – just check out their latest record “Immortal Legacy” (a very fitting title, I must say), which came out on SPV Records last year, and you will need no further explanation why we would want to do this interview.
Coincidentally, our conversation took place exactly thirteen years after the death of Paul Baloff, the legendary original singer of Exodus, and we could not but ask Katon about Paul in addition to a whole lot of other questions covering the upcoming album, his love for Russian heavy music and much more...

How are you doing, Katon? How’s the weather in sunny California?

I’m doing great! It’s actually a bit treacherous weather here in Los Angeles, but overall it’s quite sunny.  

What’s new in the band camp? I’ve heard your new album, it’s killer, man!

We are preparing for a tour around the UK the following spring. Everything has been great so far.  Thank you so much, man! We are actually very proud of the album; we put a lot of work into it. It is pure thrash metal.

I really dig the sound!

Yeah, I like the sound too. I think it’s old school as we have always been.  

I saw the new video for “Hellion Rising” a couple of days ago. It’s killer, so old-school. Where was it shot?

Thank you, buddy! We are actually very proud of it. It was filmed on location in the historic Battery Bunkers built in 1942 hidden in the hills of San Pedro, California. The scenery is the perfect backdrop for Hirax’s brand of intense thrash metal. No green screens, fake production or props were used in the making of this high definition video. Just pure old-school thrash.

I heard you guys are planning to record a new album, right? Tell me about it. When it’s going to be out?

Yeah, we are. We are currently working on it. We hope it will be out this summer. People can expect the stuff we are known for. It’s Hirax and it’s going to be kicking.

Tell me about the formative years of the band. How did you start it and why did you choose to play thrash metal?

We started out in LA in 1984, playing with bands like Metallica, Exodus, Slayer etc. We all grew up listening to the bands of the NWOBHM, Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and hardcore punk like Blag Flag, G.B.H., Discharge, The Exploited and many more. So we were heavily influenced by those bands and started writing and playing our own music in the garage and we ended up forming the band. We would always play faster and faster, forging a new form of music called thrash. I’ve been the only consistent member of the band since the formative days. There have been quite a few line-up changes but the atmosphere and the message have always been the same. We never sold out, never thought of changing our style. If I ever wanted to play something different, I would do it under another name.

Tell me about those golden years of thrash metal, when it was being formed in the Bay Area. There are lots of bands from the area -  Testament, Exodus, Death Angel, Vio-Lence... What was happening back then and why do you think it started in SF, rather than in NY, for example?  What was so unique about the Bay Area? You were at the very heart of the tight-knit thrash metal community...

That was in the early 80s. The Bay Area had a special vibe around it and the people were more open-minded to different music than in Los Angeles, where there were lots of posers and glam metal acts back in the day. The music we were playing at the time wasn’t understood in LA and we ended up coming to the Bay Area. We had a very loyal metal community there and Metallica lived around the corner from Exodus. They all ended up partying at the Metallica house. All those guys from Testament (then they called Legacy), Exodus, Death Angel, Vio-Lence, Dark Angel... When we first played in San Francisco, you could see James Hetfield, Cliff Burton and Gary Holt in the front row! Those were amazing times. We were friends and used to drink and party together after the gigs. Even bands like Anthrax and Slayer would play some gigs in the Bay Area.  The place was the Mecca of thrash metal.

Do you consider your band as a part of the Bay Area Thrash movement, originally being from LA.

We spent so much time in the Bay Area in the 80s despite being a band from LA. I think to an extent we have helped form thrash metal and were a part of it. And still are, of course. I know that bands like Exodus and Testament have their definitive landmark sound and you will recognise them off the bat. I mean the way Gary Holt plays his riffs, you will get it right away. I believe we got our own sound and the vocal delivery. I’m easily recognisable. Geographically we are not from the Bay Area yet we were at the very epicentre of the local thrash metal scene.   

Which are your three favourite thrash metal bands of all time and why?

Well, that’s a very genuine question, man. Slayer, because of “Reign In Blood”. It’s an absolute masterpiece of a record. There was a killer band Demolition Hammer from NY, I like ‘em very much. And the third would be Vio-Lence, they were just unstoppable and rampant. Their first two albums (“Eternal Nightmare” (1988) and “Oppressing The Masses” (1990)) are thrash classics.

I’ve seen a lot of times an Aria patch on your denim vest, which means you are a fan of this Russian heavy metal band. Do you understand their lyrics and what’s your favourite Aria album? I think you know they have been compared with Iron Maiden probably since day one.   

Yes. I like Aria. They are a great band. A friend of mine gave me one of their CDs some years ago and said I should check ‘em out. I like their first three records. I’m aware of Russian heavy music. I like Master too.  My Russian is really poor, I don’t understand the lyrics, but I really dig the music, the guitar work and the vocals are killer.  Of course, when I hear a riff I will recognise off the bat where it’s from. They do remind me of Iron Maiden, but I still love them very much. They are a great heavy metal band. I have a friend in Moscow and he is about to send me some of their stuff on vinyl. By the way, the new Hirax album ‘Immortal Legacy’ is out on vinyl.

What do you think of their new singer?

He is a decent singer, but I like the old guys more. Kipelov (Katon pronounces him as “Keplov” – ed.) definitely stands out, he did an amazing job. I like his solo albums as well. Arthur Berkut was good too. I feel he and Kipelov were more professional than the new guy but I like his vocals and in time he definitely will improve.

Are you planning to visit Russia? There are lots of metalheads here who love your music. You have got a pretty big fan base here and it would be great to see you and talk to you in person.  

I should talk to the promoters. I would like to stay for a few days to do the sightseeing, visit some historical places and try the Russian cuisine.  So we are looking forward to seeing our Russian fan base.

You have been around since the early 80s. How come you are still relevant and have huge popularity in 2014, which is not that easy, I must say?

We love what we do. We are passionate about our music and that rubs off on the fans. We have always been loyal to our music and to our people. Never sold out and never soften your sound to please someone. We are what we are and I think people really appreciate that. We have a huge fan base around the world and they stand for us.

What do you think about music downloading? Are you for or against that?

That’s a good question. I understand people who are against it but at the same time the cat is out of the bag and there is nothing we can do about it. Nowadays people download music and buy it online. I too buy music online, because if I like a band I want to have it right away and if I like an album I will go and buy it. There will always be people who will buy the CD after downloading it. If they want to get a full package, they will buy a CD or a vinyl. The Internet gives people a good chance to be heard and noticed. We used to trade tapes in the 70s and 80s because back then there were times you would struggle to get a copy. Nowadays everything is available and it has pros and cons.   

What do you think of the current state of thrash metal and heavy metal in general? Do you like any of the new thrash metal bands, e.g. Municipal Waste, Bonded By Blood, Evile, Havok, Hatchet or anything else? Why do you think thrash metal is still popular, after all those low-profile years it had in the early 90s when grunge came out.

Thrash metal music is alive and kicking. There were some tough times in the 90s when grunge and later alternative metal had emerged. But I think at the end of the day people got bored of that music and were like, “I wanna listen to some old thrash metal stuff, it has a soul and it’s real”. I believe thrash metal is serious music and you can’t fake it. That’s why it is still relevant and rings the bell with teenagers and adults alike. Obviously it has stood the test of time and it is thriving.  
There are lots of good new thrash metal bands out there. I like the guys from Violator, they are from Brazil and we are good pals with them. I like the Irish band Gama Bomb, they are fun and quite good; we have toured with those two. I’ve known Municipal Waste since 2001, I guess. There are many good bands out there and it’s difficult to pick one or two out.    

You knew Cliff Burton and Paul Baloff personally; tell me about them a bit, please. They had that unique vibe around them, right?    

Yeah. Cliff was a unique person and musician. Offstage he was quite shy and didn’t talk much, but onstage he was a real freak, no one could bang the head like he did. His music spoke for him. He was a one-off, a very friendly and easy-going guy. He never considered himself a star, he hated that word. It is sad he passed away, I really miss him so much. Paul was metal through and through. He lived metal and he really meant that. He did only one album with Exodus which is “Bonded by Blood”, yet he became a metal legend right away. It is very sad that he and Cliff are not with us anymore.

Katon, you are 51 now, but you look like you are just 35, it’s unbelievable. Is that your metal religion or d you follow a healthy lifestyle?

Thank you for the words, buddy. Mostly it’s my metal religion, my passion for music. I don’t smoke but I drink much coffee, beer and vodka. I like Budweiser, we drink it like water, man. I also like some fine Russian vodka; it helps you get there a bit quicker, if you know what I mean!

I do. Thank you very much for the interview, man! I have had a real blast talking to you. Metal is definitely in your veins! I wish there were more people like you out there. We are waiting for Hirax to visit Russia. You will see a lot of young thrashers wearing patched vests and high tops! You will feel like it’s 1985. Do you want to say anything to your Russian fans?

Thank you for taking your time, man. It’s been a great talk and I hope to see you all very soon. I need to sort that out with the promoters. Thanks for the support. We know that we have some crazy Russian fans out there. Thank you so much for the interview. See you soon.

Hirax on the Internet: http://www.blackdevilrecords.com

Stanislav “ThRaSheR” Tkachuk
February 2, 2015
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