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Hirax were an underground band even back in the Thrash heyday, on roughly the same level of awareness as bands like Holy Terror or Devastation. They did get a bit more attention for having a black guy as a frontman, but otherwise they were almost as generic as classic Thrash gets. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t bad, really, it’s just not doing anything really good either. The riffing is enjoyable enough, and the energy manages to shine through the rough production. De Pena’s more melodic vocals are above the standard, but the songwriting just isn’t great, doing nothing to distinguish this band from a zillion other bands who came in their wake. 1985 is early in the Thrash wave, and so Hirax are definitely pioneering a bit here, but that only gets you so far. This is a rerelease that finally gets this out on CD, but it’s still not that exciting.