This is truly a thrill for me. Not only is HIRAX one of my favorite bands, but we also get to meet a new band member and in a way, experience what it is like to join a legend. Lance Harrison came on board with HIRAX not too long ago and is not only a fantastic musician, but a really great guy as well. He really took some time with these answers and gives us an insite into what it is like to live in the heavy metal world known as HIRAX.
D-Day: You've just pretty recently joined HIRAX along with your brother, Steve. How did the opportunity come about? Was there alot of auditioning or did they already know you and simply ask?
Lance: I've known Katon for a few years We are pretty much like brothers and hang out all the time . I actually worked for the band as their stage manager last year . Katon has come out and seen me play before so I guess that could have been my audition .
Katon made some changes in the line up... we started working on new material together with my brother Steve on the bass. Glenn came back the day before we auditioned Fabricio. It just all happened so quick...
The New HIRAX is born !
D-Day: What has the experience been like so far? HIRAX would be considered one of the "Godfathers" of THRASH along with heavywieghts like Megadeth, Metallica, Exodus, Testament etc. Was it a little mind-blowing when you first hooked up?
Lance: Dude could you imagine if you had a really fuckin pissed off Bull by the Balls , he's running and your just hanging on for dear life ... laughing your ass off ! Yeah its that cool !
D-Day: How does it feel having your brother on stage as well?
Lance: It is both a pleasure and an honor to play with my brother . We both have been playing for over twenty years each, in different bands always supporting each other over the years . Last year we played at The Metal Jam 2005 in Southern California... together on stage for the first time ever. It was the best experience. Now I get to jam with this crazy fucker all the time. What else can i say , He's my brother and if you've ever jammed with your own brother you'de know , there is a connection on a different level. Its Great and Steve KICKS ASS !!
D-Day: Not to get you in any trouble or anything.... but the women must be all over you now as well, right?
Lance: Well, I couldn't really say that , But my myspace is going fucking off !! Hahaha....I really don't know how to react to all the attention lately.
It's just really new to me... but like most musicians... I like all the attention.
D-Day: What is in the works as far as a new album is concerned? Any plans?
Lance: It is called, "Assassins of War" it is another truly old school classic... from the heart, KICK ASS THRASH METAL album with NO filler tracks. It will come with some extra surprises. We are working our ASSES OFF to come up with the HEAVIEST AND FASTEST MUSIC POSSIBLE!!! GUARANTEED to Rip POSER'S faces off!! This album will make all TRUE REAL METALHEADS PROUD!
D-Day: Do you have any input in new material as far as writing?
Lance: Yes on the new stuff , Katon and I have already worked on some songs together. Glenn and I come up with riffs... If it catches Katon's ear.....we hammer out a song. We have already started to do four track demos and the material that we are coming up with is KILLER!! WAIT TILL YOU HEAR IT!
D-Day: Which 3 bands would you consider to be a "dream tour" for HIRAX to hit the road with?
Lance: Maiden / Slayer / Motorhead
D-Day: What's been your most bizarre experience so far during a show or while on tour as a member of any band?
Lance: Just to watch the reaction from the fans!! The way that they respond to us is UNBELIEVEABLE!! We have the CRAZIEST FANS on EARTH! Barnone! They bang their heads against the stage and the monitors! Stage diving and slam dancing... from the beginning of the show to the end of the show! Some people consider that BIZARRE... we consider that normal.
D-Day: Who was your main influence for picking up the guitar? Do you model yourself after anyone specifically?
Lance: There are so many , I grew up in the time when there was so much
killer Music , here I'll name a few : Randy Rhoads , Uli Jon Roth , Angus ,
Nugent , Alice Cooper , Kiss , Maiden , Priest , and many more...
D-Day: Let's try a multiple choice question.
"While playing a perfect guitar solo in front of 10,000 screaming fans, one
of your guitar strings breaks. What would be your first reaction?"
a) Feel your bowels suddely quiver.
b) Hit a note and then use the Hell out of the whammy bar in hopes that everyone is too drunk to notice.
c) Change the solo in mid stream to skip that string and laugh it off.
d) Switch from doing a solo to just smashing the shit out of your guitar on stage.
e) Throw your guitar at the nearest tech off stage and hope you hit his crotch.
f) All of the above in that order...
Lance: F) ALL OF THE ABOVE except for d) I wouldn't smash my favorite guitar... it's like my wife.
D-Day: Which other band's albums do you listen to the most?
Lance: Maiden , Priest , Slayer , Accept , Sabbath , I could go on and on....you get the idea though, good old school, real fuckin metal !
D-Day: How do you view the Metal scene today?
Lance: There's a lot of crap out there , but one thing is for sure THRASH METAL is Coming back in a big way , and one cool thing is the HEAVY METAL gods that have inspired me for years to just keep kicking ass!!
D-Day: What are your thoughts on music downloading? Obviously, bands offer
more these days on their own sites, MySpace and other places, but does it
concern you at all in relation to actual sales?
Lance: I don't have a problem with it. I think that the more you can get your music heard , the more people are gonna come see your show , the more merchandise you are going to sell , the more fans your going to win over , all of these things are very good for any band.
D-Day: Where do you see HIRAX in 5 years?
Lance: Kickin Ass Around the world!!!! AND STILL GOING STRONG!! BIGGER AND BETTER THAN EVER!!!
D-Day: Thank you for talking to us, Lance! Any final words for the fans?
Lance: I cant wait to see each and every one of you crazy bastards with your
fist in the air and banging your heads. HIRAX will come Thrash you all soon.
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