History & Biography Los Angeles, California, USA-based Hirax was a pioneering crossover act that was active and popular in the mid-80s. First was L.A. Kaos which was Gary Monardo, Katon, Bob Savage on guitar and Brian Keith on drums. There was another band called Kaos so the gang changed its name to KGB (Kids Gone Bad). This all occurred between 1983 and 1984. The band issued one demo, which was more heavy metal than the later output. Brian and Bob quit at this point and were replaced by Johnny Tabares (a school-mate of Katon's) on drums and Scott Owen on guitar. The demo afforded the band a spot on Metal Blade's Metal Massacre VI sampler. The band is heard with the song Bombs Of Death. In its heyday the band featured members like singer/guitarist Gary Owens, bassists Sherman Jones (later in Insecticide) and Gary Monerdo and drummers Eric Brecht (of DRI and Death) and his predecessor, John Tabares. The band began playing with the likes of Exciter, Possessed, Slayer and Exodus. Having said that, the band soon became the domain of its main man Katon W. Depana who himself left the fold at one point. There was an EP called Hate, Fear And Power in 1986. Katon's new band, the short-lived Phantasm, was the new Hirax. Phantasm featured former Metallica man Ron McGovney and drummer Gene Hoglan. Still, the other members of Hirax tried to continue on and recruited Exodus singer Paul Baloff in 1988, but with that singer being in San Francisco this version of Hirax was short-lived. In any case, Katon abandoned Phantasm to return to resurrect Hirax.
The band and the scene were mutually acquainted for the first time in 1986 through the Raging Violence LP, which contained a newer version of Bombs Of Death. An EP called Blasted In Bangkok was issued through an imprint called Lautrec in 1988. It was not a live record stemming from that city. The band released two albums before falling apart. A false start later, the act disappeared until reforming with its original line-up of Katon W DePena, Gary Monardo, Scott Owen and John Tabares. In the meantime, the main man had sang for an outfit called House Of Suffering. The band had a different line-up next as, soon after the original line-up’s reformation, the group advertised seeking a guitarist and bassist. The main man was in a new act called World Trust, which issued a promo tape, but the band was recording an album that September with a whole new line-up in the year 2001. The band soon issued an EP called El Diablo Negro through its own imprint in 2000. The next release was also an EP. This was called Barrage Of Noise and issued in 2001. Hirax announced the intention to tour with Anvil. This line-up temporarily featured guitarist Jimmy Durkin of Dark Angel and Dreams Of Damnation fame. Hirax and Infernal Majesty announced a European tour for February, 2005. The act also played Sweden Rock Festival in 2005. In the same year, former members Bob Savage, Gary Monardo and Johnny Tabares formed a new band called Cold Blood, then Weapons Of Mass Destruction or W.O.M.D and then Weapon 13.
Hirax was invited to tour Japan in late 2005, but the line-up fell apart before the actual dates. The band saw the return of drummer John Tabares and the addition of guitarist Lance Harrison to the group in early 2006. The band released a DVD, called Thrash Til Death, on April 25th, 2006 through its own Black Devil Records. Selfmadegod Records picked a March 26th release date for the European release of Assassins Of War EP in 2007. The group lost Glenn Rogers to Once Dead and drummer Fabricio Ravelli quit. Drummer Dave Chedrick Of Dreams Of Damnation and Hirax joined Anger As Art in late 2007. In the meanwhile, Hirax’s next demo was named El Rostro De La Muerte/The Face Of Death. The band released a new live DVD, entitled Thrash And Destroy, through Selfmadegod Records in 2008. On June 28th 2010, Season Of Mist released Californian thrashers Hirax's newest compilation record, entitled Noise Chaos War. Made of three thrashing EPs remastered, remixed and available on CD for the first time, this release included a video of Bombs Of Death filmed live in Japan in 2009. Bëehler and opener Hirax played at the Metal Attack II festival in Sáo Paulo, Brazil on June 19th, 2011. Philip Lawvere, the artist behind such album covers as Kreator's Pleasure To Kill and Celtic Frost's Emperor's Return, has come out of retirement and will design the as-yet-untitled new Hirax album, which was scheduled for a Spring 2013 release. Indeed, the band was in the studio with producer Bill Metoyer recording a full-length album, called Immortal Legacy, due for an autumn 2014 release through SPV/Steamhammer. Several Hirax members Gary Monardo, Scott Owen, Johnnie Tabares, Bob Savage and former Wargod singer Rob Perkins were in the studio recording a demo for a new project called Raging Violence. Jeff Keller Management announced that “due to circumstances beyond the bands' and management’s control, the 'Metal Apocalypse' European tour of the bands was cancelled." The management duly offered vague consolations of 2014 shows. Flotsam And Jetsam had recently issued its independent recording, Ugly Noise, through Metal Blade. Hirax would release its new album, Immortal Legacy, March 14th, 2014 as opposed to the original date of October 22nd. The band was touring with Kill Ritual and Raven in 2017. Born In The Streets 1983-1984 was a 2018 compilation. Former Hirax and Heretic guitarist Glenn Rogers relaunched his old band Final Decree in 2021. The new line-up featured the return of Ruthless singer Sammy De John, and ex-Hirax band-mate, drummer Jorge Iacobellis. Exumer was returning to Europe for the Scorching Europe 2024 co-headlining tour with Hirax in the summer. Hirax had a 7", entitled Faster Than Death, through Doomentia Records to coincide with the band's upcoming European tour. This EP was an abbreviated version of a 2023 demo of the same name. The act was to also appear at Wacken, Alcatraz and other festivals.
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