Hexx

Hexx first took shape in San Francisco as Paradox, an outfit that had already logged years of low-profile activity across the Bay Area dating back to 1978. The group adopted its current name shortly before securing a contract with Shrapnel and unveiling the debut album No Escape in 1984. That record placed the band in the classic metal fold, tempered by occasional nods to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. By the arrival of the follow-up Under the Spell in 1986, however, thrash textures drawn from the surrounding scene had clearly taken hold. The lineup then comprised vocalist and guitarist Clint Bower, guitarist Dan Watson, bassist Bill Peterson, and drummer John Shafer. Two EPs appeared during this transitional phase—Watery Grave in 1988 and Quest for Sanity in 1989—while the sound continued to shift, reaching full death-metal stature with the 1992 Century Media release Morbid Reality. The band formally disbanded a year or two afterward, only to reassemble in 2014 when co-founders Dan Watson and Bill Peterson joined original No Escape vocalist Dennis Manzo and new drummer Gary Gutfeld for a festival appearance in Germany. Rapid personnel adjustments ensued, and by 2017 the stabilized roster featured Watson on guitar, Eddy Vega on vocals, Bob Wright on guitar, Mike Horn on bass, and John Shafer on drums. That year High Roller Records issued Wrath of the Reaper, the long-awaited successor to Morbid Reality.