Hirax.

AFTER A THRILLING NIGHT in a sweaty, underground, illegal club somewhere in the East Bay, I got the chance to interview the mighty Katon De Pena from the legendary band Hirax. Although the police had just shut down Katon and Hirax after only five songs, his demeanor was nothing short of vibrant and friendly. --Tonus

When did Hirax start?

1984. In 1985 we came to San Francisco and Tim Yohannon to, ok us under his wing.

Eighty-four? Was that before DRI was credited with the use of the term crossover?

They were still playing that first album when we met up with them in LA. They came to our show and happened to be playing the same night at the Palladium, so we went to theirs afterward. They were working on a record called Dealing With It. They didn't do the crossover album 'til way later. We were definitely doing crossover thrash way before them.

Remember when Slayer had make-up, spandex and had big hair?

Yeah.

How come they made it and you guys did not?

I think because we actually broke up for a while. And some bands were doing the satanic thing. We were not doing the satanic thing, however; we were doing a crossover of metal and punk. We didn't have a gimmick--we were more about the music. But sometimes it's better late than never. Things are really going good for us now and I don't have any regrets. We always wanted to set ourselves apart. I love those bands--but I'm happy doing what I do. I'm just glad that I'm able to play music all the time instead of anything else.

What's the difference between European and American crowds?

The problem facing the United States is that there are so many trends, like new metal. But in Europe they still appreciate grass roots music. That's why I like San Francisco, because it's a grass-roots town. San Francisco people tend not to follow trends. People aren't so quick to just jump on a bandwagon here. In Europe, when people like something, they don't forget. They've been listening to our band since '84-'85, and they haven't forgotten us. They still have kids who wear denim vests with Venom, Morbid Angel, the Ramones, and Death patches on them because they really hold on to what they love.

In your press kit, you give thanks for bringing Hirax back from the dead.

Well, we were pretty much done. Our thing was that we were not into the music scene. Like I said, the US was kind of weird. But then people from the Bay Area--people like Spazz, Maximum Rock and Roll, the kids over at Gilman Street, a lot of the skate kids--began to be supportive of what we were doing. They started to get our name back out there. And people in New York started to spray paint our name all over the place, buses and trains and stuff. Then all this interest started up in the band again, and we thought, "We should do it." We found the right musicians and started playing out again. So now we're back. And it's great, because our records are actually selling pretty well. It's still an underground following, but they've given us new life. The difference between Hirax and most bands is that we do appreciate the following and the fans that we have. Seriously.

What would you tell someone trying to break into this business?

Don't give a shit what anybody else thinks. What's lucky about Hirax is that we've managed to get an audience. If you get an audience who likes your music, they should be the only people you care about. Don't worry about the record label or the industry, because that's not really what matters. What really matters is just putting out good music. Stick with your audience once you get them and put out the music you love, even if it's a demo tape. Don't do anything you're not in to doing. Most bands make their biggest mistake when they try to alter their sound. A record label guy tells them "If you guys do this ..." Then their records start sucking! Don't worry about what anybody is thinking, 'cause everybody's different. I'm proud of my band because we attract people from all types of underground genres, and I don't use the term cross-over loosely. We're actually a band that crosses over many boundaries. Hirax is going to be around. It's going to be a fun year.

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Author:	Tonus
Publication:	Thrasher
Date:	Jan 1, 2005
Words:	750
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