Mr. Katon W. De Pena is one of the true warriors of thrash metal. He’s been whipping up circle pits for about 40 years now, so his dedication can’t be questioned. Plus, he’s a hell of a good guy…I can personally attest to this.
Despite that, HIRAX albums have been few and far between. Faster Than Death is only the sixth full length in all that time. Well, this one may very well be their rawest and most in your face outing since their classic debut, Raging Violence. They’ve been trying to live up to that brutal dose of mayhem for almost 40 years, so it’s about time. Their more recent albums have been…OK. But the savage, almost punk rock edge of Raging Violence has been absent…until now.
This album lives up to its title. It rivals Reign In Blood for brevity….it flies by in well under a half hour. But what remains is pure, concentrated speed…simple, punkish thrash based on elemental riffs and the unique, more tuneful vocals of Mr. de Pena. At times, it’s almost grindcore and I can sure see how bands like NAPALM DEATH and DEICIDE were inspired by HIRAX. The song ‘Relentless’ has an almost HELLHAMMER simplicity to it, while ‘Drill Into The Brain’, ‘Psychiatric Ward’ and the title track blow by in less than two minutes. Katon is singing in a slightly lower register than years ago, but there’s still no mistaking him.
Even the production of this album sounds like Raging Violence…this record could have been the true sequel to that classic. Like the music, the lyrics are stripped down and rabid…most dealing with the end of the world and the ceaseless tide of war. HIRAX have found the way into the future and it’s through the past. Katon sounds like he could keep this running another 20 years if he had to.
Review By: Dr. Abner Mality
HIRAX
Faster Than Death
Armageddon Label