This little gem has been lingering in my collection for a few years. In fact, in the summer of 2008, I had made a note that this album kicked much ass and needed to be written about. But alas, mere minutes later, I unwrapped Byzantine’s Oblivion Beckons, threw that beast into the player, and Hirax became an unfortunate casualty of bad timing. Originally release in 2004, The New Age of Terror is a fierce and intense collection of thrashing metal ditties laced with a hardcore attitude and ethos; tight in metallic execution, but loose with punk rock emotion. The New Age of Terror is made up of the kind of music that gets a room full of metalheads spontaneously running in counter clockwise fashion, high stepping over the pile of bodies in their path, wielding their elbows like scythes in a wheat field, and then collapsing into a sweaty mass until the next song kicks in.
Back in the day, Hirax were lumped into the mass of 80’s crossover bands like Excel, D.R.I., and Cryptic Slaughter, however, they were always seemed to have a little more in common with metallic stalwarts like Metallica, Exodus, or Overkill. Those metallic sounds are readily apparent on The New Age of Terror as this disc is full on double bass drum, gritty and tight guitar riffs, ground shuddering bass tones, and air raid siren vocals. Always good with a lyric, vocalist and band main stay Katon W. De Pena regales us with tales of horrific warfare, the hopelessness of world destruction, human injustices, and social turmoil that only Katon, in his unique way, could phrase. And, the music! Phew! One great groove after another, propelled by thick and distorted guitars, shoves this album in the face of the listener, making it feel like the most immediate piece of music in existence.
“Kill Switch” kicks this beast of with a devastating riff that’s accented by sharp bass and cymbal explosions. Played at the proper volume . . . that would be loud, for those not in the know . . . those accents are all power and act like a jarring blow to the sternum. The song then rolls into a furious attack of sound, heavy and aggressive, fast and unrelenting, executing break neck stops and starts like Wayne Gretzky skating in his prime. Katon’s vocals, sounding like an air raid siren, work in contrast with the tight riffage and seem to soar above the music, driving home a warning of social destruction through death and terror. Before we’ve had the chance to see where the terror and killing is coming from, Hirax dive right into “Hostile Territory,” a tune fueled by a twin guitar attack that strains the forearms to the point of shutting down. Thunderous rhythms and screaming guitars drive this song to the breaking point, concluding in a smoldering, exhausted sigh.
Flat out kick ass, the title track is encompasses everything we thrash freaks loved about the metal movement of the late 80’s. “The New Age of Terror” is the kind of tune that makes one unconsciously bang their head in time with pummeling rhythms. The guitar grooves are fat, juicy, meaty morsels, executed with nifty triplets, alternate picking between sustained chords, and all done at break neck speed. This is one of those songs where the immediacy of the emotion is conveyed best; high powered vocals performed to the height of the Katon’s abilities, the aforementioned guitar attack, the drums exploding like small cannons . . . all of the emotion open palm slapping the listener in the face as if trying to knock some sense into a stubborn mind. One of those songs that has the sonic intensity to move an entire room of people in unison, “The New Age of Terror” is not only the reason y’all need to pick up this album, but the reason you need to catch the band live. Brutal!
“Suffer” continues along the same path as the rest of the album, ferocious and monstrous, the riffs do their job of pummeling the ear drums into oblivion. Upon closer inspection of the lyrics, which on the surface may simply appear to be vivid descriptions of warfare and bloodshed, one can hear the strains of fright within Katon’s own voice. It’s at this moment that you begin to understand that these aren’t just a bunch of gory words strung together for effect, but a reflection of the man’s fear of the world we all live in. The lyrics, as they always have been for Hirax, are an expression of the emotions of the man writing them. The vividness of the imagery grasps the listener’s attention and brings that immediacy back to the front, forcing us to cringe a little, gasp in our own shock and awe, and take stock of what we hold most dear in life.
“El Dia De Los Muertos (The Day of the Dead)” shows the bands metallic musicianship. Slowed down, a bit softer in tone, but not less meaningful, this instrumental opens up the band’s sound and lets the album breathe. A little lush keyboard drone in the background as the cleaner tones guitarists pick out their arpeggios, given added texture with huge walls of distorted guitars . . . this two minute ditty is a welcome respite from the chaos and fury that Hirax display throughout the rest of the album. As to be expected, as “El Dia De Los Muertos” fades out, the ravaging soundscape of “El Diablo Negro” fades in, dropping one of the heavier riffs on the album on the shoulders of this welcoming listener. Again, Hirax explode into action, uber-fast guitar riffs and up tempo drums get this song moving in one direction and one direction only. Straight for your skull, like a laser guided projectile, “El Diablo Negro” is an efficient killing machine in itself.
Over the course of the past two years, The New Age of Terror has continually grown as one of my favorite albums. It’s one of those albums that I unconsciously reach for, or better yet, the album that I tend to think about listening to when I’m dissatisfied with everything else in my collection. Ironically enough, as many times as I’ve pulled this disc out and given it a spin, I never noticed that there was a second disc tucked behind the audio version. Yes folks, there’s a DVD filled with great live footage from Hirax’s tours of ’04 and ’05, which I’ve only had a few minutes to glance at, but looks amazing! Hirax has, and probably always will, have a special place in my heart mainly because of their work ethic and honesty. Take a few minutes and check out their history and notice how Katon W. De Pena, by sheer force of will, has kept this band rolling in the image that he’s wanted it. Independent releases, tireless touring and promotion, and a roots-y D.I.Y. attitude has gotta’ make even the most jaded music fan nod in appreciation for the work that he’s done. I’m off to buy pick up some more Hirax stuff . . . man, look at all that vinyl! - Pope JTE
Buy here: The New Age of Terror
Buy here: The New Age of Terror
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