HIRAX · Raging Violence | CLEAR LP

Clear vinyl.

Background information about 'Raging Violence'

Some records don't age — they detonate all over again. "Raging Violence" is the 1985 debut from Hirax, and hearing it back on wax after nearly two decades out of print is like getting a boot to the chest from a band who never once asked permission. This is the sound of the Bay Area and L.A. scenes colliding at full speed: traditional heavy metal theatricality dragged kicking into the crossover punk pit, all razor-wire riffs, breakneck tempo shifts and zero patience for anything polite.

Frontman Katon W. De Pena is the whole storm here. His voice is raw, unhinged and completely in command, spitting lines about demons, warlords and total destruction with a conviction that makes most modern thrash sound like a boardroom meeting. Add the iconic Pushead artwork and you've got a package that defined what tape-trading kids passed around the world — DIY, ugly, glorious. The songs barely break the two-minute mark and that's exactly the point: hit, burn, move on. "Blitzkrieg Air Attack" and "Bombs of Death" are pure adrenaline, while the title cut and "Call of the Gods" show just how much melody these maniacs could hide inside the chaos.

It's fast, it's furious, and it still sounds like nothing else from that era. Essential crossover and speed metal, no asterisks.

For fans of: Slayer, Exodus, Kreator, D.R.I., Dark Angel, SOD

Track listing

A1. Demons - Evil Forces
A2. Blitzkrieg Air Attack
A3. Guardian Protector
A4. Bombs Of Death
A5. Defeat Of Amalek
A6. Raging Violence
A7. Call Of The Gods
B1. Warlords Command
B2. Suicide
B3. Executed
B4. The Gauntlet
B5. Destruction And Terror
B6. Destroy
B7. Bloodbath

Manufacturer: 375 Media GmbH, Schlachthofstraße 36A, 21079 Hamburg, Germany, Contact: www.backonblack.com