Detroit gets its first taste of the legendary thrashers Hirax, and it was well worth the wait, as they melted faces at The Sanctuary.
Detroit had waited long enough – more than 40 years to be exact. So when Hirax frontman Katon W. De Pena bellowed, “Are we in Deeeetroooooitttt!!!” toward the eager crowd, the roar that came back confirmed Motor City fans were hungry for the full-on assault they were about to experience. Technically, The Sanctuary is in Hamtramck, just on the border of Detroit. Either way, the Southern California thrash legends wasted no time making clear they intended to leave a mark.
De Pena is the only member left from the original Hirax lineup, but the band delivered a machine-tight performance and high energy right from the first chord. With each song, they ratcheted up the intensity, displaying the speed and crushing riffs they’re known for.
Hirax emerged from the early 1980s Bay Area, California, thrash scene, and they went back to their roots early in the set, pulling out “Warlords Command” from their 1985 debut Raging Violence. Four decades on, the song still hit like a freight train and had fans’ fists pumping in the air.
Clad in a sleeveless cut-off and studded bracers, De Pena commanded the stage in between songs. At one point, he paused to tell the crowd that “it doesn’t matter if you like Slayer, Motörhead, or Mercyful Fate – we’re all one big metal family.” That sentiment definitely rang true as The Sanctuary’s crowd yelled back in agreement.
With the song “Black Smoke,” fans were shown that Hirax isn’t just a thrash band from the past. The 2014 song from Immortal Legacy opened with a heavy guitar solo as De Pena egged the crowd into a frenzy, before hammering drums brought the full band thundering in.
On “Destroy,” again from 1985’s Raging Violence, bassist Jose Gonzales was brought to center stage for a short, punishing showcase of low-end solo that gave way to pounding drums as De Pena proved he could still hit the high notes.
As the show drew to a close, De Pena told fans to stick around to hang out with the band after the show before hitting them with “El Diablo Negro,” from their 2003 album New Age of Terror. Gonzalez and lead guitarist Allan Chan banged their heads in sync while delivering relentless riffs that sent a few crowd surfers flying overhead. Shortly after, the band briefly disappeared offstage as the crowd immediately chanted to bring them back. There was only one song left the crowd wanted to hear, “Bombs of Death,” the classic thrash track that defines their high-impact sound.
After the set, true to De Pena’s word, the band came out to greet their eager fans. For a city that had waited this long for Hirax to show up, it was a night that was definitely worth the wait.
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