Hirax really needs no introduction they are a classic band from Southern California. Blowing up our eardrums with their latest album Immortal Legacy. Which is probably one of the best thrash records in recent times. They played at the Jesse Pitando tribute show which I sadly missed but this time I was not going to miss this show. I saw them once a couple years ago at the Observatory in Santa Ana and it was a ripper so I expected nothing less. Fenders ballroom was a venue that many bands played at in Long Beach some of those bands were Dark Angel, Possessed, Voivod, GBH, Final Conflict, Circle Jerks had played here. Also, some bands that would become huge like Guns N’ Roses and No Doubt.. So if Hirax was going to revisit "Fenders ballroom" I was really excited to see the chaos that Hirax would bring with it.
When I got to the venue Heretic were at the end of their set but I did catch 3 songs and I really liked what I heard. I hope to catch them again soon because they were really good. After Heretic I was able to make my way to the front where I waited for Hirax. The intro tape came on and then the band started the instrumental “1,000 Strong”. Then Katon came on stage and then the mayhem ensued when they started “Hellion Rising”. In front you had people headbanging and fistbanging and even in this small venue you had a pit going. People were ready for this onslaught of metal. Then they burst into “Baptized by fire” and the crowd went even crazier. “Lucifer’s Inferno” is one of my favorite Hirax songs and right when this song started the stage diving started. I made sure I didn’t get kicked in the face or anything and I kept a safe distance. Katon always reminded me of like Bruce Dickinson when it comes to stage energy like running around but he also had a total punk attitude about it too. Really, a unique frontman in metal for sure. I was really glad to hear “La boca de la Bestia (mouth of the beast)” Another favorite Hirax song of mine. The Harrison brothers killed it! The guitar and bass sounded fantastic. They are just really good musicians and songwriters, they are bad ass!
The show got pretty crazy to the point where I saw one guy bleeding from his forehead. Katon after the one of the songs kinda told people to chill out and remember we’re all here to have a good time and we’re all metal brothers and sisters and let’s be cool. Which I thought was cool of him to do. “Hostile Territory” ripped your neck in half it sounded so good. “El Diablo Negro” was amazing live the Harrison brothers during one part of the song had a bit of a pit themselves it was really epic. They ended their set with “Bombs of death” which I think they have too. I think that’s their Angel of Death or Peace Sells you know you got to end the set with that song. After the show I was able to get my records signed by Katon, Lance, and Steve Harrison. All really cool guys. This probably has to go be one of the craziest shows I’ve been to in a while. Hirax successful resurrected the spirit of Fenders Ballroom.
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