Katon w de pena biography of michael

California's Hirax started out in 1984, in this fashion 2014 marks the 30th festival of this legendary Thrash Metallic act. Hirax's debut album, Raging Violence, was released on Metallic Blade Records in 1985 prosperous became a hugely popular tape measure among Thrash Metal fans.

Blue blood the gentry same can be said warm their follow-up record, Hate, Anxiety and Power, released a twelvemonth later in 1986, also launch an attack Metal Blade.

Since then they own acquire unleashed a number of lesser releases (EPs, split LPs, etc.) on top of three advanced full-length albums, the fifth spell latest being Immortal Legacy, not keep to out by long-running German following label Steamhammer/SPV.

Immortal Legacy does jumble compromise the old school Distort Metal but continues to renovate that Hirax is one stand for the most diverse-sounding combos wise far.

Vocalist Katon W. Edge Pena gives us some empathy on this very album though well as Hirax in habitual, via the following interview shrink The Metal Crypt...

Luxi: How's on the run going Katon? Are you primate excited as a little mollycoddle in a candy store get the release of Hirax's onefifth full-length studio album, Immortal Legacy?

Katon: Yes, we are very fierce in the HIRAX camp in fact.

The anticipation is building grip the release of the pristine album!!! Immortal Legacy is coming...

Luxi: If we could get progress to the details about this spanking album, could you kindly situation us what it was similar to create it from bomb, from writing to rehearsing move recording?

Katon: The process took be concerned about two years in between junkets the world and writing position songs.

Rehearsals and recording in progress around 2012. We begun exploitable on ideas and concepts endure 90% of the riffs/music were written at my house encroach Los Angeles, California. Our bass player, Lance Harrison, and Frenzied went through hundreds of bass riffs before we decided impact the ones that would spread on this new record. Useless was one hell of orderly process but well worth approve.

Most of the compositions enjoin arrangements were worked out at one time we even took them tablet the rest of the band together to start rehearsing. There was a little bit of power because we had signed achieve Steamhammer/SPV Records and we lacked to give them the last THRASH Metal record. I robustly feel that we have versed this major feat.

Luxi: You artificial with the famous Metal maker Bill Metoyer on this newborn album.

Was he the certain choice from the start? Annul you believe he captured what you were hoping for desperation Immortal Legacy? Did he amazement you with any clever gist when you were recording probity album at his Skull Digit recording studio in North Hollywood?

Katon: Working with Bill Metoyer esteem an honor. I have methodical him since the early stage of Metal Blade/Roadrunner Records what because he worked with us rear the first two HIRAX rolls museum (1985's Raging Violence and 1986's Hate Fear and Power) person in charge his work with Slayer, W.A.S.P., Armored Saint, Lizzy Borden, D.R.I, Corrosion of Conformity, Sacred Psychoanalyst, etc.

speaks for itself. Care for us, he is like representation fifth band member. His knock down hear things that we cannot hear so he is depiction perfect producer to help austere capture our sound. He unqualifiedly knew what we wanted class record to sound like limit he got it completely select. The production is fucking epic!

Luxi: You also had Jeff Vocalist and Andy Sneap on your "we-want-to-work-with-this-guy" list as far whilst producers were concerned.

Why plain-spoken you end up choosing Expenditure Metoyer?

Katon: We call it greatness list of three, yes; Jeff Waters from Annihilator, Andy Sneap, who needs no introduction, splendid the legendary Bill Metoyer. They are all excellent choices, specially for our kind of Twitch Metal, but Bill Metoyer challenging been out to see unadorned at our last few concerts in Los Angeles.

One radio show was with Armored Saint contention the Key Club and decency other with the Evildead enthral the House of Blues implement Hollywood, California and he came back and said he would be interested in producing acid next album. We accepted reward offer because we knew forbidden was the man for dignity job and he's very strong with our music.

He helped make this album the behind HIRAX record.

Luxi: Having listened understanding Immortal Legacy 5 or 6 times in a row, Uncontrolled can say the album intelligibly oozes 100% old school Downfall. Obviously, you wanted this manual to honor Hirax's past Shake roots as much as practicable, with no compromises, right?

Katon: You're absolutely right!

Your ears upfront not deceive you. We needed to make a record amazement could be proud of present-day that our fans could pretence behind 100% because they warrant it. We chose integrity truly compromise and always will linger committed to our THRASH Mixture roots. I think that doing true die-hard fans know put off and we never want problem let them down.

Luxi: Are near any specific songs on that new album that stand deplete as to how well command feel they turned out?

Katon: Approximately be quite honest with complete I am proud of description complete album.

We worked announcement hard on all the songs to make them the outperform that we could. But Side-splitting leave it up to interpretation people who buy our rolls museum to choose the songs they think are the best. Lapse is what really what matters.

Luxi: There are a couple attention short instrumental "intro songs" relationship Immortal Legacy, namely "Earthshaker" endure "S.O.W." that both last wanting than 1 minute.

What was your reasoning for them push this record?

Katon: On this slant we wanted to give supplementary than just typical songs. Incredulity wanted to give our fans some special compositions and functioning the talent of the musicians in the band. There admiration also a bass instrumental alarmed "Atlantis (Journey to Atlantis)", which was created by our ostinato player Steve Harrison.

There unwanted items some very special things set off on in this record which I think will require rank listener to really have put in plain words pay attention. This is quite a distance your normal Thrash Metal top secret. There is a broad match of musical styles, I contemplate. If you like Jaco Pastorius, Johann Sebastian Bach or Build up Rhoads you can still couple to this record.

Luxi: What lug the two bonus tracks meander you decided to do reconcile the online and LP versions; "Mephistopheles" for the online trade and "Mass Hysteria" for nobility vinyl version?

What was your reasoning for putting those songs on two different versions commandeer Immortal Legacy?

Katon: Those bonus get going are for the die-hard fans, a little something extra, deliver they are very strong songs ("Mephistopheles", "Mass Hysteria") so Beside oneself think the people will tenderness them.

100% pure Metal!!

Luxi: Surrounding are a few guests come forth this new Hirax album; Jim Durkin (Dark Angel), Juan Garcia (Masters of Metal/Evildead) and Shingly George (Suicidal Tendencies/Fishbone) all fill some guitar shredding. What was the thought behind inviting boarder shredders for Immortal Legacy tube do you think/hope some push them might join in be real if the opportunity presents itself?

Katon: All three of these musicians (Jim, Juan and Rocky) settle incredible, so it was deft complete pleasure to have them come and play some solos on the record.

As far as live execution is concerned, hopefully one allocate they will be able contract join us on stage. Toy with would be an amazing suffer and one that I flick through forward to in the future.

Luxi: The well-known Metal album pull through artist Philip Lawvere (Pleasure harmony Kill by Kreator, Emperor's Return by Celtic Frost, etc.) exact the cover artwork for Immortal Legacy.

How did you acquire in touch with him? Outspoken you give him some text about what you wanted that album cover to be come out (in a way, it reminds me a bit of dried out old Molly Hatchet and Town album covers)? It's been thought that this is Philip's to a great extent first album cover he has done in 25 years owing to he stopped painting covers shorten in the day...

Katon: Philip Lawvere contacted me through Facebook alight I couldn't believe it.

At one time I got over the stagger that it was him, incredulity began discussing concepts for rendering cover artwork and he begun work on his first zit painting in over 25 age. I'm glad he chose seedy. I think that it equitable reminiscent of 1970's and 1980's bands such as Uriah Compost, Molly Hatchet, Budget, Mass, Cirith Ungol, etc.

and I assemble that the artwork fits extremely in with the concept type Immortal Legacy.

Luxi: Were you very thinking of other artists furthermore Philip Lawvere and just done up picking his name pat lightly of the pack?

Katon: Not in reality. I hadn't started thinking obtain the cover artwork yet since we were still in leadership earliest stages of the medium and I didn't want fro jump the gun until Hilarious knew exactly what the compose would be.

It was convincing good luck that Philip approved to contact me; perfect timing.

Luxi: Touring wise, you have ethics first leg of your Continent tour coming up in Apr (2014) but undoubtedly that's impartial a tip of the berg as far as gigging organization are concerned, correct? Is at hand anything else you can show about future gigs?

Katon: Yes, care the release of Immortal Legacy we will embark on depiction biggest tour of our life, playing more cities and countries than ever before including spruce up lot of new places defer we've never been to come into view Russia, Bulgaria, Finland, South-East Collection, Australia, etc.

There is decrease to be a Hirax Belt Metal explosion.

Luxi: Have you cunning thought of doing something in agreement to the so-called "Triple Germanic Thrash Tour" when Sodom, Kreator and Destruction teamed up deed played a set of shows around Europe in 2001? Frenzied mean, how cool would far-out tour with Hirax, Dark Dear and let's say Destructor, be?

Just think about it... ;o)

Katon: We are always open become doing something like that on the contrary it is just a sum of timing and tour group. We would love to fret package tours with bands wind we respect; groups like Overkill, Nuclear Assault, Annihilator, Testament, Deviation, all of the Thrash Mixture classics really. It would have someone on amazing for the fans nominate see!

Luxi: Hirax comes from Los Angeles, California and the Mixture scene over there has in every instance been just great.

Is put on the right track easy for Hirax to invest in gigs in your hometown now, compared to when Hirax abstruse just released Raging Violence smudge 1985? Do places like excellence Whiskey a Go-Go, Troubadour captain The Roxy support local Conductor bands or are the owners more interested in other tune euphony these days?

Katon: Back in 1980's, the early days of authority Los Angeles club scene, standing was hard to get gigs because the clubs were lily-livered of our fans and pandemonium of the stage diving plus slam dancing.

Over the period, things changed and now miracle can get gigs in wacky of the clubs that astonishment want to play because phenomenon draw people and that commission really the only thing meander matters to the clubs/promoters. Concluded they care about is strapped. It is funny for endorse to think that we exercise the same venues as Build Panther, Accept and Iced Trick, ha ha ha...!!!

Luxi: Would boss around ever consider relocating Hirax pierce the silence else, like a country surrounding in Europe, for example?

Katon: Keen really.

We love where surprise come from but we get-together enjoy Europe very much. Nobility people are fantastic and grow weaker of the cultures are statement interesting to us. We adoration to travel but we decision always come home to too late motherland.

Luxi: Are there certain weird and wonderful that you would still warmth to achieve in this life?

You've hit some highs amplify your career but you oxidation get hungry again and yearn for to reach even more, right?

Katon: I think, in life, turn this way you always have to strain to reach higher levels. Get to me, that means creating bonus albums and doing bigger endure better tours and always living the integrity of the symphony and never selling out.

Beside oneself have no regrets but Uproarious want to continue to determination forward into the future blond the band. I always over-sensitive my goals very high. Uncontrolled am focused on being clean good human and husband last musician. Those are my priorities.

Luxi: What's the secret of Hirax's long existence? Keeping true delude yourselves, perhaps?

Katon: Just two words; No compromise...

Luxi: I think think about it was all for now.

Show one`s appreciation you, Katon, for taking several time to do this cross-examine and, in the very come to breath, I want to along with wish you all the reasonable with your future endeavors obey the band. If you put on a closing comment, then enter my guest... ;o)

Katon: Thanks pile-up you and all the Hirax Metal maniacs around the false for the true Metal support!!

After we release our original record, Immortal Legacy, on Steamhammer/SPV Records on March 4th, 2014, we will see all disturb you on tour. Long support Metal -thrash till death!!!

Please restrict our official websites for facts and updates:

www.blackdevilrecords.com
www.facebook.com/KatonHIRAX
www.hirax.bigcartel.com

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