Hexx

by Eduardo Rivadavia
After kicking around the Bay Area with little to show for it since 1978, San Francisco's Paradox changed their name to Hexx shortly before signing with the Shrapnel label and releasing their debut album, No Escape, in 1984. This showed them to be in the traditional metal camp, with a few N.W.O.B.H.M. influences, but by the time of their sophomore effort, Under the Spell, arrived in 1986, Hexx was clearly assimilating elements of the thrash scene raging all around them. Now comprised of vocalist/guitarist Clint Bower, guitarist Dan Watson, bassist Bill Peterson, and drummer John Shafer, Hexx released a pair of EPs -- 1988's Watery Grave and 1989's Quest for Sanity -- while continuing to tinker with their sound, which had pretty much achieved death metal qualifications by the release of 1991's Morbid Reality. Success of any kind continued to elude them, however, no matter what style they tried, so Hexx soon decided that the time was right to give it up.