After releasing some demos, Hirax signed with Metal Blade and debuted with their first full-length, "Raging Violence" in 1985. The band was composed of Katon W. De Pena (vocals), Scott Owen (guitar), Gary Monardo (bass) and John Tabares (drums).
In 1986, John Tabares left the band and Erick Brecht (brother of D.R.I.'s vocalist Kurt Brecht) joined. After the change, they released their second album, called "Hate, Fear And Power" under pressure of the label (only having 16 minutes of length for 8 songs).
After this release, the band quit the label and independently released a demo called Blasted In Bangkok in 1987.
But with tensions and disillusions in the band, Katon decided to leave and form a new band with Gene Hoglan (former Dark Angel drummer), and Ron McGovney (former Metallica bassist). They called themselves Phantasm and released a six tracks demo in 1988 (re-issued in 2002 as a CD with the demo and live tracks). After a brief tour with Nuclear Assault, they broke up.
In 1989, after Katon left Hirax, they took Paul Baloff (former Exodus frontman) to sing in Hirax, but soon after, they disbanded too.
Katon stayed in the music scene, being involved in the underground and working at record stores. In 1997, he featured one of his old songs on a compilation demo with Spazz, the band of one of his friends. In 1998 Katon received fan mail and acclaim by fans of thrash metal which ultimately caused him to reunite the band in 2000. Hirax had gained fans because of their exciting, high-energy thrash metal, their dedication to their music, and their "trueness" to the scene.
Katon reunited the band with the original lineup of Scott Owen, Gary Monardo, and John Tabares, releasing the "El Diablo Negro" EP in 2000.
However, the lineup completely changed with the exception of Katon and Hirax released the album "Barrage of Noise" in 2001 with instrumentalists James Joseph Hubler, Justin Lent, and Nick Sellinger. This too was brief.
In 2003, Katon recruited an entirely new lineup again, and released the album "New Age of Terror" in 2004 with guitarists Dave Watson and Glenn Rogers, bassist Angelo Espino, and drummer Jorge Iacobellis. Recently, however, due to irreconcilable differences, this lineup has followed in the trend of the others.
Official website: http://www.blackdevilrecords.com/
SUICIDE
Hirax Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Outcasts no gall
Obsessed with hate
Vengence death's call
Crazy out of his mind in sand he's cracked
Desperate to take his life
Rifle gun or knife
Plead for help silent scream
No one cares now it seems
The weapon to his head
Trigger's pulled no he's dead
Die for no reason but we do not know
Why he killed himself death by suicide
Everyone wonders why
The young man took his life
Unsolved mystery
Evil let it be
The lyrics of Hirax's song Suicide portray the life of an outcast, someone who's neglected and treated badly. The individual represented in the song has become obsessed with hate and has reached a point where they can no longer take it. He's lost his mind and believes that death is the only solution to his problems. The song mentions that he thinks of taking his life through a rifle, gun or knife. The song goes further to mention that he pleads for help, but no one responds to his silent screams. The individual then takes his life by pulling the trigger, leaving those around him questioning why he did it.
Hirax's lyrics highlight the possibility of someone reaching the point where death seems like the only solution to their problems. The song also portrays the reality of someone going through a tough time and not receiving help, pushing them further down the spiral of depression. The lyrics also hint at the possibility that someone might take their life for no apparent reason, leaving those around them puzzled.
Line by Line Meaning
Neglected treated bad
He was treated poorly and unfairly.
Outcasts no gall
He was an outsider and had lost his confidence.
Obsessed with hate
He was filled with anger and hatred.
Vengence death's call
He sought revenge and chose death as his way out.
Crazy out of his mind in sand he's cracked
He was mentally unstable and his mind was shattered.
Desperate to take his life
He was in extreme pain and wanted to end his life.
Rifle gun or knife
He had different options for ending his life.
Plead for help silent scream
He was suffering silently and needed help.
No one cares now it seems
He felt like nobody was there for him.
The weapon to his head
He chose a gun to end his life.
Trigger's pulled no he's dead
He pulled the trigger and successfully ended his life.
Die for no reason but we do not know
There was no apparent reason for his suicide.
Why he killed himself death by suicide
He ended his own life, but the reason remains unknown.
Everyone wonders why
Those left behind are left wondering why he did it.
The young man took his life
He was a young man who ended his life.
Unsolved mystery
His suicide remains a mystery.
Evil let it be
His suffering and death were unjust and cruel.
Contributed by Adam L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
haskpts
Neglected treated badOutcast no gallObsessed with hateVengeance death's callCrazy out of his mind insane He's crackedDesperate to take his lifeRifle gun or knifePlead for help silent screamNo one cares now it seemsThe weapon to his headTrigger's pulled now he is deadDie for no reason but we do not knowWhy he killed himself Death by suicideEveryone wonders whyThe young man took his lifeUnsolved mysteryEvil let it be