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EQUINOX - THE WAY TO GO (1990) (Review by: Mr. Thrash)
Norway can surely deliver other things than Black Metal, Goat cheese and oil. Thrash metal has never been Norways strong side with one exception for the thrash band Equinox. "The way to go" is their second album, and it's one wellproduced thrash-package.
Equinox has managed to get everything on the album to sound good, the production, songmaterial, the vocals, and the mandatory thrash choirs. Except the ugly frontcover, there aren't so much to complain about this record that represent the second wave of thrash metal (1990). This band is quite unknown to man and that's a shame because they know their thrash and they will not make you disappointed. I recommend this album strongly.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EQUINOX - THE WAY TO GO (1989)
Norway is most known for it's humorless Black Metal scene but they also produced a thrash metal band called Equinox. They were one of the few and definitely the most famous Norwegian thrash band. If there are such things as famous Norwegian thrash metal bands. hahaAnyway, Equinox released four full-lengths and Auf Wiedersehen was their first. The band delivers some Metallica-influenced thrash here but Equinox was rougher around the edges. The ever grinding riffs and drumming reminds me a bit of Canada's Razor and at times they sound like a rougher Annihilator with a touch of Artillery.
Even if the music is on the unpolished side of thrash it's still quite technical.
I like the riffs too, they are creative and the album starts with Stop! which is a good tune and it's followed up with the title track, Auf Wiedersehen. The track Auf Wiedersehen has a cool main riff and the chorus is effective. It will make your head bang real hard.
Equinox was Norways premier thrash band, no doubt about it and their debut album is regarded as a classic in the small underground community.
I think that Equinox debut was the best Norwegian thrash metal album together with Withchammer's power/thrash classic 1487. Auf Wiedersehen is a good start if you're interested in some qualitative Scandinavian thrash.
It was also a groundbreaking album when it comes to Norwegian metal as it was the first thrash metal album from the nation.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EVILDEAD - THE UNDERWORLD (1991) (Review by: Per-Ola Nilsson)
Evildead was the band of Juan Garcia (formerly of Abattoir and Agent Steel) that emerged in the late eighties to release two studio albums. "The Underworld" is the last of them. While their debut was very influenced by the bay area scene, this one is speedier and more in the Agent Steel-style. Not many mid tempo tracks here, but loots and lots of thrashing speed. And Evildeads ripping guitar riffing, hectic drum beats and lyrics about environmental issues really hit the mark. This one is the best of the two Evildead-releases in my opinion. "The Hood", "Global Warming" and "Welcome to Kuwait" are some of the nicest cuts. Maybe you shouldn't get this if your neck is weak, but if you feel that you could use a headbanging session, "The Underworld" will make it a pleasure. Sadly Evildead, which probably was considered as a hobby thing and nothing else, called it a day after this album.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EVILDEAD - ANNIHILATION OF CIVILIZATION (1989) (Review by: Aaron DiDonato)
This is the album that the “The Awakening” demo and “Rise Above” EP led up to. And all I can say is, this is better than both combined x 2. Very fitting that this band is from LA along with Dark Angel, because this album is quite similar to “Darkness Descends” by Dark Angel. I really love the singer, and while thinking of how to describe him, I remembered a line from Jim Ruuth’s review of Atrophy’s “Violent by Nature” about Brian Zimmerman. “the vocalist Brian Zimmerman hasn't got the clear silky voice, he doesn't try to sing too aggressive, he just sounds like he's been drinking for a very long time”. Man I laughed my ass off at that the first time I read that hahaha. Anyway, he sounds like Cronos (Venom) or Brian Zimmerman but without that little rasp to it; it’s a clear, shouting voice. This album is great the whole way through. The first 2 tracks are my favorite. “F.C.I. / The Awakening” is just as fast and intense as anything you’ll hear on “Darkness Descends”, but they are definitely not a copy. This band has an original sound. I absolutely love the chorus where the whole band shouts “THE BOOK OF THE DEAD IS NOT FOR THE LIVING TO SEE!!!” The 2nd song is the titletrack, “Annihilation of Civilization”. Awesome guitar harmonies in the intro, and once again a great catchy chorus. Also, the last track “B.O.H.I.C.A.” is hilarious. It stands for “Bend Over Here It Comes Again”. ‘Nuff said. The rest of the album is just as good, but when the album is over I always find myself with the first 2 tracks stuck in my head. This is probably my 4th favorite album to come out of LA. I’m finding it very hard to think of a better album from 1989. EvilDead rules!!!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXCITER - DEATH MACHINE (2010)
Death Machine is the latest release by the Canadian masters of rugged speed metal. And the last album with the lineup of Ricci, Winter, Cohen and Charron since John Ricci kicked 'em all out and reunited with the original members Alan Johnson and Dan Beehler.
I wonder what the heck happened to Kenny Winter, I thought he sang allright on the previous album Thrash Speed Burn, but he sounds more strained and nasal here. The whole album feels a bit disappointing, especially because of the vocals that isn't as good as the vocals that Beehler and Belanger has delivered over the years. The songwriting and the production has also taken a small step in the wrong direction here. The music itself has the elements of the usual Exciter-release but it's just not as strong as before. Death Machine is an up-tempo album with simplistic riffs and repetitive choruses where the name of the tracks are repeated over and over again. The same riffs are also repeated over and over again and there aren't much effort in breaking off the tempo or doing something unexpected. The songs are perhaps too similar and everything just grinds along for the most part. I can't recommend this album as it is one of Exciter's weakest efforts. Especially when you can crank up the volume to their pioneering early works instead. I hope the newly reunited Exciter can bring back the spark that put Exciter on the map back in the early and mid eighties.
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EXCITER - THRASH SPEED BURN (2008)
⭐⭐
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EXCITER - THRASH SPEED BURN (2008)
It's been eight years since their last studio album and Exciter has now returned with both a new album and two new members in bassist Rob 'Clammy' Cohen and vocalist Kenny 'Metal Mouth' Winter. Kenny follows in the footsteps of Jacques Belanger and Dan Beehler and delivers some typical high pitched Exciter-screams. Kenny sounds a bit like a mix between Katon DePena of Hirax and Bobby Blitz of Overkill. Without ever giving in on the Exciter-way of doing things.
Thrash Speed Burn is a continuation of what the band did on The Dark Command and Blood of Tyrants. John Ricci's streaming up-tempo guitar style delivers a wall of sound that grinds down all resistant posers. Add to that Kenny's falsetto vocals and the typical hockey choir styled backing vocals. At times it sounds like a plane is taking off inside your head while listening to thrash speed burn. It's so loud, thunderous, fast and ever excellerating. At the same time it's quite a simplistic album. No fancy melodies or showing off, just straight forward speed / thrash. I'm still impressed that Exciter keps going and delivers solid metal albums every time they enter the studio even if the band has been around for over twenty-five years. Thrash Speed Burn is nothing groundbreaking, in fact it's a nod to their past and they should be saluted for sticking to what they do best, thrashing speeding and burning.
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EXCITER - BLOOD OF TYRANTS (2000)
⭐⭐⭐
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EXCITER - BLOOD OF TYRANTS (2000)
Exciter continues releasing good speed metal-albums like the nineties never happened. Exciter continued with the type of metal they created back in 1983. Pounding heavy metal at full speed. Some parts of their first song Metal Crusaders sounds a whole lot like Painkiller by Judas Priest. Well the whole album must be strongly influenced by the Painkiller-record. Jacque Belanger sings like most vocalists did in the eighties with lots of falsetto screams just like former vocalist and drummer Dan Beehler once did. If you are longing for some old school-sounding metal and most of the upcoming bands that claims that they are playing thrash but they have this modern melodic death metal sound. I would prescribe a healthy dose of Exciter for you. Because it includes absolutely no elements of modern metal. It's great to hear that such a classic band as Exciter coming back with vengeance. They are the metal crusaders!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXCITER - BLOOD OF TYRANTS (1997)
Possessed! ...by Ritual Death!, Possessed! ...by Ritual Death!, Possessed! by ...Ritual Death!
Exciter's The Dark Command may be repetitive but the choruses on this album are effectivly hammered into your mind. This is a very memorable album and an overall impressive album for being released in 1997. Exciter understood this thrash-revival before anyone else. You can call this a comeback when it was released five years after their latest Effort Kill After Kill. Exciter was not only one of the grandfathers of thrash they also started the revival with this release. The best speed and thrash metal album to be released since the early nineties. Exciter never cared for trends, all their albums are testosterone-filled raging speed metal of the highest quality. The band has undergone a lot of changes in the lineup and John Ricci is the only remaining member. New vocalist Jacques Belanger suits the music perfectly. He has quite an intrusive Halford-esque falsetto. I really like the over-the-top vocals, and the backing hockey-choir is a powerful supplement. This is speed metal on stereoids, The Dark Command by Exciter is the best metal-album of 1997.
EXECUTE!, EXECUTE!, EXECUTIONEEEEER!!!!
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EXCITER - KILL AFTER KILL (1992)
John Ricci and Dan Beehler got back together again for a reunited Exciter. Sadly bassist Allan Johnson didn't want to join the party. This is the first time since 1985 John and Dan collaborates on an album and that's highly positive. It seems like there can't be a real Exciter without both of them in the lineup. So is this new Kill After Kill-record as good as the good 'ol Exciter, well not exactly. Sure the band speed up the tempo a little but I wonder why an established band like Exciter had such a low-budget sound by 1992. The album sounds almost like it was recorded in a garage. Maybe they were trying to recreate the old school-feeling of "Heavy Metal Maniac" or something. After Unveiling the Wicked and the self-titled Exciter-album my hopes on this 1992-release was very low to say the least. Because only a few bands could keep it up during the nineties and that the band had struggled for years but Kill After Kill was a pleasant surprise. It might just be their thrashiest record up to this point. Unfortunately this was the last collaboration between Dan Beehler and John Ricci for the next twenty years. The music on "Kill After Kill" is intense as always and you'll instantly recognize that it's Exciter if you only have heard the early albums. John Ricci's pummeling yet pounding guitarplay and Dan Beehler who combines drumming with his signature air raid siren screams. I really like the tracks "Rain of Terror" and "Cold Blooded Murder". If you want speed metal, you've got it!
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EXCITER - EXCITER (O.T.T.) (1988)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXCITER - KILL AFTER KILL (1992)
John Ricci and Dan Beehler got back together again for a reunited Exciter. Sadly bassist Allan Johnson didn't want to join the party. This is the first time since 1985 John and Dan collaborates on an album and that's highly positive. It seems like there can't be a real Exciter without both of them in the lineup. So is this new Kill After Kill-record as good as the good 'ol Exciter, well not exactly. Sure the band speed up the tempo a little but I wonder why an established band like Exciter had such a low-budget sound by 1992. The album sounds almost like it was recorded in a garage. Maybe they were trying to recreate the old school-feeling of "Heavy Metal Maniac" or something. After Unveiling the Wicked and the self-titled Exciter-album my hopes on this 1992-release was very low to say the least. Because only a few bands could keep it up during the nineties and that the band had struggled for years but Kill After Kill was a pleasant surprise. It might just be their thrashiest record up to this point. Unfortunately this was the last collaboration between Dan Beehler and John Ricci for the next twenty years. The music on "Kill After Kill" is intense as always and you'll instantly recognize that it's Exciter if you only have heard the early albums. John Ricci's pummeling yet pounding guitarplay and Dan Beehler who combines drumming with his signature air raid siren screams. I really like the tracks "Rain of Terror" and "Cold Blooded Murder". If you want speed metal, you've got it!
⭐⭐⭐
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EXCITER - EXCITER (O.T.T.) (1988)
On Exciter's fifth album Dan Beehler gives Rob Malnati the microphone and he sounds like a deadringer for Dan so the difference is marginal. This is actually the first time the band is a quartet instead of the usual trio. The album was re-relased in 2005 by Megaforce records with O.T.T. as the title for this album, which stands for Over the top. This time Exciter takes down the tempo a notch and now it's more or less just regular heavy metal with high schreecy vocals, but not as extreme vocals as on their last album "Unveiling the Wicked". There are a few good guitar solos and 2-3 tracks which have that old Exciter trademark stamped on them. I like the song "Scream Bloody Murder" and the album has a few greater moments but In the end, this is probably the least enjoyable Exciter record as far as I'm concerned. Exciter has lost the intensity and this sounds more like a lame Accept-copy with irritating falsetto screams over and over again. Are you ready to rock? Because I'm not sure about this one.
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⭐⭐
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EXCITER - UNVEILING THE WICKED (1986)
In 1986 John Ricci leaves Exciter and in comes new guitarist Brian McPhee. After the brilliant early albums Exciter's style changed a bit, On Unveiling the wicked Exciter plays a bit slower, but still speed metal, but with some regular heavy metal infused into their music.The songs are somewhat repetitive, especially in the choruses, If you hear a Exciter-song you will probably end up singing the chorus all day long. Especially the song Living Evil. Other songs worth mentioning are: Break down the walls, Die in the night and Invasion/waiting in the dark. Nowdays Exciter seems more or less like they have fallen into obscurity. Dan Beehler is a screamer and his screaming voice can be a little too much for some people, but I love this album. Even if it's not their most popular release to date. I'll hope that you have LP-player, because this album is very rare on CD. I'm not sure that this album was ever released on CD, but there is at least a bootleg out there to be found. High pitched and high energy metal.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXCITER - FEEL THE KNIFE (1985)
In 1985 Exciter decided to release Feel the knife, why I don't know, they could have saved it for a later release, quite useless to record only one new song and release it. They've included two live songs which were recorded in Ottawa. Anyhow, the song Feel the knife is really good, a typical Exciter song in every sense and it was the last thing the original lineup did before the split with guitarist John Ricci. Fortunately this 12" is very easy to find (at least on vinyl) and it is very cheap so it might just be worth to buy it because Exciter where one of the better bands from the early eighties. Sounds a bit like Fistful of Metal-era Anthrax for those who haven't heard Exciter, but the vocalist differs a whole lot from Turbin in Anthrax, and if you aren't that familiar with Exciter I suggest you to buy Violence and Force instead of Feel the knife, more music for the money. But for the real Exciter fan, this is a quite enjoyable EP.
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⭐⭐⭐
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EXCITER - LONG LIVE THE LOUD (1985)
On "Long live the loud" we are once again given a healthy dose of testosterone-filled speed metal. Exciter rips out some punk-fueled, classic speed metal circa Venom and Motörhead but with the added fuel of the shrieking vocalist Dan Beehler and the strong support of the gang shouted backing vocals. Which has become a signum for Exciter and there's no straying from that path here.
Even if the album artwork looks more like a typical Manowar-release than the Knife-stabbing maniac we're used to see on the front covers. Maybe the album shows a little less explosive and noisy side of Exciter, but that's not really a problem here. Dan Beehler shrieks and screams quite a lot and the athletic drumming keeps pounding away every concern you might have. The riffing might be a little repetitive at times but Exciter delivers a few classic speed metal anthem's here. Like the title track "Long live the loud" and "I am the Beast".
The album might not be as legendary and groundbreaking as Exciter's two first albums (Heavy Metal Maniac and Violence & Force) and maybe the scene was more crowded by bands that had a more professional production and a more aggressive style. "Long live the loud" was also the last album before the founding trio of Beehler, Ricci and Johnson was split up. Exciter might never be what their early album's promised but this last statement from the original trio is certainly worth checking out if you're into some speedy violent bashing. Long live the loud!!!!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXCITER - VIOLENCE & FORCE (1984)
The Pioneering Canadien speed metal band Exciter released their second album as early as in 1984. The album was a continuation of the sound they developed for their debut LP "Heavy metal maniac", maybe a bit stronger overall. Exciter's music is a heavy/speed/thrash metal hybrid. If you thought Black Sabbath where the heaviest metal band ever, you haven't heard Exciter, their pounding metal can break the sound barriers. And the high-pitched vocals by Dan Beehler will crack the windows, I can guarantee that.
I happen to like shrieking vocals, but some people will probably ignore Exciter for that reason. that's sad for you have to look hard to find any better band in the speed metal genre. Exciter sounds a bit like early Anthrax, though vice versa. Some songs are really heavy others are more uptempo, which where quite common in the early days of the genre. This album has a high standard overall, no boring moments. But if you call this thrash or not are up to you to judge. Either way I do recommend this album.
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I happen to like shrieking vocals, but some people will probably ignore Exciter for that reason. that's sad for you have to look hard to find any better band in the speed metal genre. Exciter sounds a bit like early Anthrax, though vice versa. Some songs are really heavy others are more uptempo, which where quite common in the early days of the genre. This album has a high standard overall, no boring moments. But if you call this thrash or not are up to you to judge. Either way I do recommend this album.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXCITER - HEAVY METAL MANIAC (1983)
Let's travel back in time to the early days when Exciter, Anthrax, Exodus, Metallica, Artillery & Slayer broke ground with a new type of metal. Faster and heavier than anything ever heard before and since(?). Thrash metal was born in 1983 and Exciter were one of it's fathers. (no homo, haha) Why Exciter didn't get the fame as their colleagues in U.S.A. is strange. Maybe because Exciter were a bit less structured and the album was a definitely underproduced. Exciter suffered from a noisy production, like many bands did back then. If you wonder why, I can tell you that these recordings were actually a demo, that the record label released without re-recording it in a real studio. Have a look at the front cover, it's boiling with testosterone, a real cool album art. If you are into that early raw speed metal, this album is certainly a must. But if you are looking for an aggressive band like Dark Angel or a technical one like Coroner, Exciter wouldn't be the band to recommend. Exciter kept up their style through the eighties before the one too many lineup-changes took away the spark. Exciter didn't have the sensability as the american bands had at the time, but they delivered bruising metal attacks. Mainly from John Ricci's powerful guitar chords and Dan Beehler thunderous drumming, and don't forget that he also sang at the same time!!. I have to give a minus to the rough production. Heavy metal maniac is still a metal classic!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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E-X-E - SICKER THAN I THOUGHT (1990) (Review by: Danne W.)
The release of E-X-E’s second album was going to determine their future in the music business.The band had left their old record company and signed a deal with Barricade Records. It seems that the change had little effect, because this album is even more obscure and hard to find. ”Sicker...”is very different from “Stricken...”. Their old image with spikes/chains/leather is gone. Instead they’re posing in joggingpants, shorts and colorful t-shirts on the album’s bandphoto. They have also made some changes in the line-up. The only ones left from the original line-up are the two guitarists Adam Marigliano and Rui Tavora. I had very high expectations for this album, before I listened to it for the first time. At the same time I suspected it might not be that good as it is definately more rare than “Stricken...”. I have to say that I was very disappointed. Sometimes you even wonder if it’s really the same band that recorded “Stricken...”.The first album was Slayer inspired thrash/speed with some heavy metal influences. The variation in music that could be heard on the debut album is almost gone. This time it’s mostly about fast and raging guitars/drums. The new singer (who I guess is) Tommy Lee Hayley has a bit more high-pitched voice than his predecessor.
Some of the songs are quite ok (Another Chosen Life, Chamber Of Sorrow and Horrors Of The Mind), while some are really weak (Sexploitation and Second Coming). The rest of the songs are just ”ok”, nothing that you’ll remember as classics.
At this time alot of other bands were playing the same kind of music and doing a much better job. For this record not to drown in an ocean of strong releases, it would have needed stronger songs with more memorable riffs. With the new line-up, the band has taken their instrumental skills to a higher level, but the biggest difference (a negative difference) lies in the songwriting. On this album, Adam Marigliano did all the writing, while on the debut the responsability was shared between him and Rui Tavora. The final result had perhaps been better if they had continued to compose together? “Sicker...” is just another standard album that took the band nowhere and sadly meant the end of their short career. If you’re a die-hard fan of E-X-E, this probably is a must-have record. However, it took me quite some time to find it and I guess it’s rather hard to obtain. I don’t know if it was released on cd, I’ve never seen it anyway.
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EXHORDER - THE LAW (1992)
EXHORDER - SLAUGHTER IN THE VATICAN (1990)
Anyhow, Slaughter In The Vatican is a fast album with occasional groove metal riffage, the guitar tone is heavy and dry and that gives the band a much heavier sound, that type of production was very common in the nineties and the album gives me a few Dark Angel meets Sacred Reich vibes, with a dose of Pantera, Sepultura and Slayer. The album is produced by Scott Burns who talked the band into using the same rig as Sepultura used for their Beneath the Remains.
So Exhorder's sound has a lot of similarities to the early 90's death / thrash sound. The band didn't want that sound for Exhorder but that was now their fate. So one could blame Scott Burns for the somewhat stale sound the album has.
EXUMER - THE RAGING TIDES (2016)
Exumer is a band that are often compared to Exodus and the comparisons are still clear but I think that The Raging Tides surpasses the more recent works of their San Francisco compadres. But at the same time Exumer might have listened a little too much to Exodus because there are some similarities to a few Exodus tracks, the song Shadow Walker reminds me strongly of Brain Dead by Exodus. The band could also have skipped the Pentagram and Grip Inc. covers. Don't get me wrong I love Pentagram but I'll guess they are just bonus tracks. Speaking of Grip Inc. Waldemar Sorychta produced The Raging Times and he plays the guitar on the aforementioned cover. Exumer has really succeeded in what they set out to do, they penned a robust old school sounding album and they keep it interesting from the first minute to the last. Mem von Stein has also aged well, he still sounds as aggressive as he did back on Possessed By Fire and it's always uplifting to hear a voice that you associate with greatness.
EXUMER - RISING FROM THE SEA (1987)
The song "Fallen Saint" got similar riffing to Slayer's old tune "Black Magic". this album ain't a rip-off though their influences can be heard clearly. This album is what thrash metal is all about, fast and raging thrash with tons of memorable riffs. I can't push the riffs enough, they are absolutely brilliant and Ray Mensh is definitely an underrated riffmaker. Possessed by fire was released in 1986 and this album were one of those unbelievably great albums of '86 that somehow didn't make it fully into the limelights.
⭐⭐⭐
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E-X-E - STRICKEN BY MIGHT (1987) (Review by: Danne W.)
During the late 80’s when thrash metal was at it’s peak, there were numerous bands that had shortlived careers. No-good record companies,lack of promotion and though competition with the more wellknown bands at that time made it hard to get anywhere. E-x-e definetely belongs in this category. ”Stricken By might” was the first of the two albums they released during their short career. It was released on Axis records and I consider it as a killer album, one of my all-time favourites. When I listened to it for the first time I thought it was pretty standard, but the more I listened to it, the more I came to appriciate it. The album is very varied, going from fast speed/thrash to midtempo songs. The first three songs on the album are pure thrash that makes you think of early Slayer. In the middle of the album, E-x-e shows a more melodic side with a strong basic heavy metal feeling. The songs ”Metal Hell”,”Slayer” and ”Warchild” have more melodic vocals and catchier riffs than the other songs.
On this album there is almost only killer songs, so I can hardly pick any favourites. Musically, it’s as I’ve said very influenced by early Slayer. Sometimes the singer even sounds like Tom Araya (perhaps it’s the obvious influence from Slayer that makes me think that...?). Productionwise this album holds a pretty high standard. Musically there’s really nothing to complain about either. When “Stricken By Might” was released the band’s image (as so many other bands at the same time) included spikes, chains, blood and leather. If E-X-E had been on a bigger record label with more resources their future might have been different. This album shouldn’t be too hard to find on vinyl, I’ve seen it on sale for a reasonable price at many record fairs. I doubt it’s available on cd, but maybe you can find bootleg versions of it on the internet. In all,a sadly underestimated album by an underestimated band, that I can recommend to all fans of early 80’s metal.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXHORDER - THE LAW (1992)
Exhorder, one of the grandfathers of groove metal debuted in 1990 with the classic Slaughter in the Vatican. Two years later they released their second and last album 'The Law' before disbanding. If Slaughter in the vatican leaned towards thrash The Law leans more towards Groove metal. The addition of bassist Frankie Sparcello made the bands bass sound much funkier and there are less thrashing parts here and more slow rhytmic riffs, the band also gives Black Sabbath's Into the Void a stoner / groove remake and for me that's the most interesting track on the album.
Exhorder broke ground for what was about to come in the nineties. Groove metal might be the closest relative to thrash but I still think of it as a smaller abomination in the history of metal music. I can enjoy some of the early nineties thrash releases but this was modern and forward thinking in 1992 and looking back upon the album today it was not the direction I wanted metal to take but you can't deny the bands influence on the upcoming Groove metal wave with bands like Machine Head and Pantera popularizing the genre even if some of the credit/shame should be given to Exhorder.
I prefer Slaughter in the Vatican to The Law and I guess that most thrashers reading this review will do the same, because there are much more of that 90's disease here, The Law is sounds much more like Pantera compared to the debut and that's negative for me.
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⭐⭐
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Exhorder are often called the inventors of Groove Metal even if this album was released three months after the release of Pantera's Cowboys From Hell. Sure Exhorder released the Slaughter in the Vatican demo in 1987, but come on, Pantera was more groove metal than Exhorder and also first at doing the style. I think it sounds rather impossible for Pantera to have heard Exhorder's demotape, they were just a metal band in New Orleans, Louisiana that just about no one had heard at the time. I know that Pantera were fans of Metallica and it wouldn't surprise me if Exhorder also took influences from Metallica.
So Exhorder's sound has a lot of similarities to the early 90's death / thrash sound. The band didn't want that sound for Exhorder but that was now their fate. So one could blame Scott Burns for the somewhat stale sound the album has.
Chris Nail brings some seminal almost death metal like drumming, the riffs shifts between fast and slaying and heavy like a ton of bricks. Kyle Thomas has an effective and angry voice but he never feels like a stereotypical weak junkie that needs to shout and scream like some type of Phil Anselmo. This is Thrash / Groove done the right way, with emphasis put towards thrash.
The comparisons with Pantera might always be there for Exhorder but to me Exhorder was a better band and they had a much more thrash metal vibe than the posers in Pantera. So expect the album to pack a lot of punch. 1990 was such a great year for thrash metal and Exhorder's Slaughter in the Vatican can be considered as one of the most influential and aggressive releases of the year.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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People talk about how how good 2016 has started with the releases of the new Megadeth and Anthrax albums but people tend to forget about about Exumer, the real kings of thrash in 2016. I thought their last record Fire & Damnation from 2012 was going to be hard to top but Exumer instead takes it up another notch with this tight and old school sounding beast. Some may criticise the band for being retrogressive and not really contributing to anything new. But an old fart like me knows that great thrash has a simple recipe. Fast and crunchy poser-killing riffs, thundering drums, aggressive vocals and a powerful bass with some old school production values is all I need, and when it's delievered with the quality that I have come to expect each time I hold a new Exumer album, then it's hard not to be fully satisfied.
Exumer is a band that are often compared to Exodus and the comparisons are still clear but I think that The Raging Tides surpasses the more recent works of their San Francisco compadres. But at the same time Exumer might have listened a little too much to Exodus because there are some similarities to a few Exodus tracks, the song Shadow Walker reminds me strongly of Brain Dead by Exodus. The band could also have skipped the Pentagram and Grip Inc. covers. Don't get me wrong I love Pentagram but I'll guess they are just bonus tracks. Speaking of Grip Inc. Waldemar Sorychta produced The Raging Times and he plays the guitar on the aforementioned cover. Exumer has really succeeded in what they set out to do, they penned a robust old school sounding album and they keep it interesting from the first minute to the last. Mem von Stein has also aged well, he still sounds as aggressive as he did back on Possessed By Fire and it's always uplifting to hear a voice that you associate with greatness.
Even if it's just march of 2016 I think that The Raging Tides will be the album of the year or at least up there amongst the best when we summarize 2016.
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⭐⭐⭐
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EXUMER - FIRE & DAMNATION (2012)
We did an interview with vocalist Mem Von Stein ten years ago and at that time a comeback looked impossible but now we stand here with a brand new Exumer-album. If you don't remember it Exumer released one of the best albums of all time in 1986's "Possessed by fire". The followup was also good but ended up in the shadows of the debut. Exumer has re-recorded two songs for this album, "Fallen Saint" from the debut and "I Dare You" from "Rising from the sea". On "Fallen Saint" Exumer's old vocalist Paul Arakari sings. Fire & Damnation is a great comeback, actually it's one of the most satisfying comebacks of all time.
From the very first second of the title track it's thrash metal and the old Exumer sound is instantly recognizable. For those who haven't heard Exumer their sound is similar to Exodus. But the album is not without flaws. The drumming by Matthias Kassner is somewhat repetitive and the songs are a bit too similar in style.
From the very first second of the title track it's thrash metal and the old Exumer sound is instantly recognizable. For those who haven't heard Exumer their sound is similar to Exodus. But the album is not without flaws. The drumming by Matthias Kassner is somewhat repetitive and the songs are a bit too similar in style.
Songs like Fire & Damnation, Crushing Point and Devil Chaser are my favourites along with the re-recording of Fallen Saint. Fire & Damnation is one of the best thrash albums of this new decade. Buy or die!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXUMER - RISING FROM THE SEA (1987)
Exumer's frontman Mem von Stein left Exumer shortly after the release of their debut album Possessed By Fire. In came Paul Arakari and Exumer released Rising from the sea a few months later. Possessed By Fire is as you all know by now a fantastic record, one of the best German thrash metal albums of all time. So it's understandable that the band can't deliver on the same high level again, especially after bassist and vocalist Mem Von Stein leaving the band. Rising From the Sea was released a year after the debut so the band didn't have that much time to plan and record the follow-up. Especially after promoting and gigging after the release of their debut album.
For me Exumer's Rising From the Sea is a smaller disappointment, the songwriting, the riffs, the vocals, the production. Everything feels downgraded. Exumer still is a very American sounding band, Somewhere in the Sacred Reich meets Hallow's Eve-region with some minor Slayer vibes going on. The vocals by newcomer Paul Arakari feels more controlled but the big difference from their debut is how the songs are crafted. The songs are just not as good as they once were. Rising from the sea is not a terrible album, but with a new frontman and overall lower quality it is understandable that the album got a few unfavourable reviews. I think that the album is still somewhat a competent effort. But it will always be in the shadows of Possessed By Fire.
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For me Exumer's Rising From the Sea is a smaller disappointment, the songwriting, the riffs, the vocals, the production. Everything feels downgraded. Exumer still is a very American sounding band, Somewhere in the Sacred Reich meets Hallow's Eve-region with some minor Slayer vibes going on. The vocals by newcomer Paul Arakari feels more controlled but the big difference from their debut is how the songs are crafted. The songs are just not as good as they once were. Rising from the sea is not a terrible album, but with a new frontman and overall lower quality it is understandable that the album got a few unfavourable reviews. I think that the album is still somewhat a competent effort. But it will always be in the shadows of Possessed By Fire.
⭐⭐⭐
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EXUMER - POSSESSED BY FIRE (1986)
In 1986 Exumer dropped their debut album and it would stand out as a landmark not only in Exumer's career but in the whole genre as well. After the release of Possessed By Fire, The band switched vocalist and they released one more album before disbanding for over two decades. So this album is a very special album to us Exumer fans. If the American scene had Bonded By Blood by Exodus, Exumer's Possessed By Fire would be a fitting counterpart. Exumer was surely aggressive but they had more in common with early Slayer and Exodus compared to the blackened German thrash sound.
Mem von Stein's vocals are typical mainstream thrash, roaring and aggressive, somewhat reminiscent of Exodus frontman Paul Baloff (R.I.P.). My favourite tracks would be "Fallen Saint", "A Mortal Black", "Xiron Darkstar" and "Reign of Sadness". I could have mentioned any song, the album slays from the very first second to the last. If you like early and rough thrash with simplistic e-string shredding, heavy moshing and screaming solos, do yourself a favour and look up Exumer's Possessed by fire because this is one of the best thrash metal albums of all time.
1986 was a strong year for the German thrash metal scene, with several classics being released. But for me personally Possesed By Fire and Kreator's Pleasure to Kill stands out above the pack. I also consider Possessed By Fire as the best debut album of all time to be released in Germany.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXODUS - BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT (2014)
Ten year after their classic comeback "Tempo of the damned". It's time for a fresh start with 2014's Blood In Blood Out. After some years of bad blood between the band and vocalist Steve 'Zetro' Souza they finally let the past be the past and Exodus sent vocalist Rob Dukes packing for the next bus to mediocreville. For the first time since 1983, Exodus original guitarist Kirk Hammett of Metallica-fame is back playing with the band again. He lends out his wah-wah skills on the track Salt The Wound.
The album is such a typical Exodus-release with Zetro back in the lineup the vocals are superb especially when combined with the gang-shouted backup vocals. Gary Holt's brand of Rhytmic riffs and Hunting and Gibson keeps it all tight and precise, This is Exodus alright. The album feels a lot like "Tempo of the damned" which was a triumphant comeback to form and Blood in blood out surely delivers on all cylinders, especially on the first half of the record. I like the tracks "Blood in blood out", "Salt the Wound" and "Body Harvest". I like the fact that Exodus recorded the classic Angel Witch-song Angel of Death, it's such a great song but Exodus doesn't do it completely justice as the original is better but hey. Blood in Blood out is a strong album even if it has a bunch of filler tracks on the second half of the album. Maybe they should have taken another year to get it all done the right way and have a stronger song material to chose between. But Blood in Blood out has it's moments and I think that it is the bands best since 2004's Tempo of the Damned.
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The album is such a typical Exodus-release with Zetro back in the lineup the vocals are superb especially when combined with the gang-shouted backup vocals. Gary Holt's brand of Rhytmic riffs and Hunting and Gibson keeps it all tight and precise, This is Exodus alright. The album feels a lot like "Tempo of the damned" which was a triumphant comeback to form and Blood in blood out surely delivers on all cylinders, especially on the first half of the record. I like the tracks "Blood in blood out", "Salt the Wound" and "Body Harvest". I like the fact that Exodus recorded the classic Angel Witch-song Angel of Death, it's such a great song but Exodus doesn't do it completely justice as the original is better but hey. Blood in Blood out is a strong album even if it has a bunch of filler tracks on the second half of the album. Maybe they should have taken another year to get it all done the right way and have a stronger song material to chose between. But Blood in Blood out has it's moments and I think that it is the bands best since 2004's Tempo of the Damned.
⭐⭐⭐
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EXODUS - EXHIBIT B: THE HUMAN CONDITION (2010)
Another Exodus disc is out and it was the last release with the not so popular Rob Dukes at the microphone. Thankfully so even if it isn't his fault that this album blows. Even if Rob Dukes has no way near the charisma of Baloff and Zetro. His voice has a punkier edge than the two more known vocalists in Exodus history. Exhibit B: The Human Condition is mainly an effort of the studio. The album feels so mechanical, repetitive and boring that one falls asleep in the middle of all the brutality. Gary Holt seems to surround himself with programmers instead of actual real musicians. It's that stale and uninteresting. The album is over 70 minutes long which is about twice as long as many of the legendary albums in the genre and it feels way more than what we demand. Especially when most songs is build in the same mechanical way. The album definitely has some riffs but there is just no exciting moments that ties it all together. No shocking moments, no twists and turns, just a steady dose of pummeling guitar and tight drumming. I just want to put away this album and go and listen to something else than this Andy Sneap-produced robotic thrash product of the new age. Do as I'm about to do, crank up that Bonded By Blood instead!
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⭐⭐
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EXODUS - LET THERE BE BLOOD (2008) (Re-Recordings)
Exodus came up with the (not so bright) idea to re-record their legendary debut album Bonded By Blood. Why? I have no idea, Trying to recreate a masterpiece is stupid, when the original is as close to perfect as it can be. Gary Holt and Tom Hunting are the only two members left since Bonded by Blood was originally recorded over twenty years ago. They also included Hell's Breath a song that didn't end up on the original, but it was made when Kirk Hammett was in the band, before Bonded by blood was released. The record sounds more or less like they did in the 80's but the production is more modern, like you can expect. Rob Dukes is in my opinion the worst vocalist Exodus ever had. Paul Baloff maybe wasn't the greatest in technique either, but he fits in on Bonded by Blood so well. I think this album is a waste of time. The original album is more intense and the instruments are more audible on the original. I'm getting tired of old thrash bands re-recording their original songs, Flotsam and Jetsam, Anthrax, Testament and Exodus have all done it and failed. I've had enough of it. 1/5
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⭐
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EXODUS - THE ATROCITY EXHIBITION... EXHIBIT A (2007)
When Rob Dukes came into the Exodus camp something changed, the band went for a more modern metal sound and Rob Dukes shouting vocals fitted the bands new direction like a glove. But unfortunately that glove is not for everyone. Especially not for a traditionalist like myself. This album is too modern, the production is fat or should I spell it phat? But not everything is bad, it's nice to see Tom Hunting back behind the drumkit again.
Most songs are written by long time guitarist Gary Holt who is some type of band leader/dictator when it comes to Exodus business. At times Exodus brilliance shines through Andy Sneaps ultra-modern production, especially when the band has so many great musicians. But chosing Rob Dukes was a mistake if you ask me. He feels more like a misplaced hardcore kid.It's hard to put a finger on it but I guess it's mostly the fat chunky production th at feels a bit too much redneck screaming and too little traditional thrash. Most songs are also too long. I'm sad to say it but this album does absolutely nothing for me.
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⭐⭐
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EXODUS - SHOVELHEADED KILL MACHINE (2005)
After the highly regarded comeback album "Tempo of the Damned" the Exodus we used to know fell apart and Rick Hunholt who has been in the band since day one left and so did the ill Tom Hunting who was in the band from "Bonded by blood" up to "Fabulous Disaster". Steve 'Zetro' Souza was also kicked out but guitarman Gary Holt decided to keep Exodus going more or less without the band-members that once created the once so mighty Exodus. Gary Holt teamed up with bay area-veterans Lee Altus (Heathen) and Paul Bostaph (Forbidden & Slayer). He also recruited newcomer Robert Dukes to handle the microphone. As you can guess this is something different from the Exodus we all used to love. I must first of all say that "Shovel headed kill machine" is one of the worst and most generic titles I've ever heard on an album. The music itself continues the path that the band laid down but this time it's more groove metal riffs and Rob Dukes is nowhere near 'Zetro' and Baloff when it comes to quality and timing. The production is modern, chunky and bad. It reminds me of late 90's Overkill in sound. I remember reading an interview with Gary Holt and he said that he wasn't interested in sounding like they did in 1985 and I think that's a shame. Exodus was way more interesting back then. I guess sounding like 99% of every other modern band is a better idea. Up to this point this is Exodus lowpoint, I even prefer Exodus grunge-infested "Force of Habit" more than this one.
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⭐
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EXODUS - TEMPO OF THE DAMNED (2004)
Finally! Twelve years after their last studio effort "Force of habit" the Bay area gods Exodus has returned. Steve 'Zetro' Souza is once again behind the microphone replacing the coolest guy in metal Mr. Paul Baloff. Comparing to earlier albums by Exodus this has a thicker more modern production and this is perhaps their fastest and most furious album since Bonded by blood. Exodus has managed to write a whole bunch of new classics. They are all fast and heavy, the way it was meant to be. The song Impaler was originally written when Kirk Hammett was still in the band. One thing that disturbs me is that I think that the new production doesn't fit into this kind of music and that takes away the overall thrashing feeling and it makes the album mechanical. It's really the only thing to complain about. Otherwise Tempo of the damned are filled with amazing guitarparts from the H-team. 'Zetro' makes one of his best efforts ever and Tempo of the damned must be seen as Exodus best album since 1989's release Fabulous Disaster. Tempo of the damned will be released on the Two-year anniversary of Paul's death. Write that date down 'cause Exodus are back with vengeance!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXODUS - ANOTHER LESSON IN VIOLENCE (1997) (Live)
Exodus got back together to do some livegigs. This is a live album with original vocalist Paul Baloff (R.I.P.) back in the band. This is the only official recordings that Exodus has released with Baloff besides Bonded By Blood, if you don't count in Exodus early demotapes. This album was released in 1997 by Century Media. Most songs are taken from the legendary Bonded by blood-album. One "new" gem is the song Impaler a great thrash song co-penned by Kirk Hammett of Metallica during his short time in Exodus. The album feels Fresh and raw, in fact it's a great live recording. Here are some short quotes from Paul Baloff from this album: "I don't get tired until the songs are over, then I just simply die", "This ain't no Arsenio Hall show, Destroy something!" A great live-album if you like those. Most old thrash live albums often has a blurry sound but this album has a great sound. It is actually one of my all-time favourite live albums by any thrash band. Because of the impressive track-list, combined with the fact that it's Paul who's singing and that the production and soundquality is good. Recommended!
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXODUS - FORCE OF HABIT (1992)
Make it or break it, was probably the idea on Force of Habit, In 1992 Exodus was backed by the major Capitol label. They also had the prominent producer Chris Tsangarides to get the right sound for the album. The man who produced Painkiller by Judas Priest just two years earlier. But maybe Capitol had too much influence on Exodus, or perhaps they were easily influenced by the flavour of the month, but whatever the reason was Exodus caved for the pressure and chose to incorporate too many bad ideas at the same time. One reason could also have been the fact that bassist Rob McKillop had recently left the band and he was replaced by Mike Butler. Anyhow, Exodus chose to record two rock covers, one of The Rolling Stones (Bitch) and one Elvis Costello cover (Pump It Up). Which both are strange choices. Exodus also manage to sound weak overall, Steve 'Zetro' Souza doesn't perform as well as on some of the earlier records.
The production is dry and it seldom feels like the band is inspired to do great material. The album feels like a joke to the band themselves. I usually refer to albums like these as Grunge / Thrash. Just like I Hear Black by Overkill, Act III by Death Angel or Cuatro by Flotsam and Jetsam, what they have in common is a softer tempo, additional acoustic numbers and a more mainstream early 90's sound. Just listen to the two hit songs from the album; Thorn In My Side and Good Day To Die. How are these songs heavier than Alice in Chains or Soundgarden? Too my ears it's all the same.
The production is dry and it seldom feels like the band is inspired to do great material. The album feels like a joke to the band themselves. I usually refer to albums like these as Grunge / Thrash. Just like I Hear Black by Overkill, Act III by Death Angel or Cuatro by Flotsam and Jetsam, what they have in common is a softer tempo, additional acoustic numbers and a more mainstream early 90's sound. Just listen to the two hit songs from the album; Thorn In My Side and Good Day To Die. How are these songs heavier than Alice in Chains or Soundgarden? Too my ears it's all the same.
One thing is for sure, if Paul Baloff was still in the band he wouldn't have let the band down the alternative rock path. Sure there are some interesting riffs here and there, but feels dangerous nor fast. It's polished and mainstream. Even the artsy fartsy artwork is terrible. At least they had the decency not to use their original thrash logo for this sell-out attempt.
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⭐⭐
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EXODUS - IMPACT IS IMMINENT (1990)
Exodus made a name for themselves and they received a fat paycheck from the big record label Capitol. Fans all over was afraid that Exodus were going down the drain now while being backed by a major label. Most Exodus fans seems to have forgot about the early nineties era of Exodus. Sure the production is a bit flat on Impact Is Imminent, but this album is a much better product than what their Force of Habit ever was. Impact is imminent is an ignored piece of qualitative thrash. And if you listen to these songs: "Impact is imminent", "The Lunatic Parade", "Within the walls of chaos", "Objection Overruled" and of course the furious "Thrash under Pressure", you'll might just get excited of what Impact is imminent has to offer.
The songs are also a whole lot longer than what we are used to. Now when Exodus has returned and starting to tour Europe it's quite sad that they'll probably not play any song from Impact is imminent. We also need to mention that original member Tom Hunting had left Exodus for personal reasons and John Tempesta was recruited to fill his shoes. I hope that you'll at least give the song "Thrash under pressure" a chance, because it's an totally amazing song. The album feels like it was recorded in someones garage strangely enough. It's a wonder to me why Exodus album on Capitol are harder to find than their earlier. I think that Impact is imminent deserves a place in every thrashers collection.
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The songs are also a whole lot longer than what we are used to. Now when Exodus has returned and starting to tour Europe it's quite sad that they'll probably not play any song from Impact is imminent. We also need to mention that original member Tom Hunting had left Exodus for personal reasons and John Tempesta was recruited to fill his shoes. I hope that you'll at least give the song "Thrash under pressure" a chance, because it's an totally amazing song. The album feels like it was recorded in someones garage strangely enough. It's a wonder to me why Exodus album on Capitol are harder to find than their earlier. I think that Impact is imminent deserves a place in every thrashers collection.
⭐⭐⭐
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EXODUS - FABULOUS DISASTER (1989)
Fabulous Disaster must be seen as the most popular album by Exodus besides their debut Bonded by blood and 2004's Tempo of the damned. Fabulous Disaster was Exodus third album and it was released in 1989 on Combat Records. It's a strange little album, especially the lyrics are childish and humorous at times. It feels like the band wanted to become the AC/DC of thrash metal here, with Steve 'Zetro' Souza's Bon Scott-styled vocals, the more mainstream approach and style compared to the bands first two efforts.
My favourite songs are The Toxic Waltz, The Last Act Of Defiance, Like Father, Like Son & Open Season. Fabulous Disaster is filled with great riffs from the H-Team, Hunholt and Holt. There are also two covers on this album which is highly unnecessary the somewhat rediculous Low Rider (originally by War) and Overdose (originally by AC/DC). I'm not happy that Exodus fills up the record with covers, a band of their stature shouldn't record covers when all their own material is better than all the boogie rock bands of the seventies.
Fabulous Disaster still contains a lot of that old Exodus-spirit and the sound builds upon what Exodus started with Pleasures of the Flesh and I must also say that the production is much thicker and better here compared to earlier Exodus, which is the ony thing that feels more professional here. I just wished that they took this album more seriously, which I think it lacks a bit of, one could say that this album was one of the first "Pizza Thrash" records, were having fun and fooling around becomes more important than aggression and seriousness. Still, Fabulous Disaster is a classic thrash album, definitely worth owning. I still consider it to be top 3 when it comes to Exodus albums.
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Fabulous Disaster still contains a lot of that old Exodus-spirit and the sound builds upon what Exodus started with Pleasures of the Flesh and I must also say that the production is much thicker and better here compared to earlier Exodus, which is the ony thing that feels more professional here. I just wished that they took this album more seriously, which I think it lacks a bit of, one could say that this album was one of the first "Pizza Thrash" records, were having fun and fooling around becomes more important than aggression and seriousness. Still, Fabulous Disaster is a classic thrash album, definitely worth owning. I still consider it to be top 3 when it comes to Exodus albums.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXODUS - PLEASURES OF THE FLESH (1987)
Two years after their magnificent debut Bonded by blood, Pleasures of the flesh was released on Combat Records. During these two years Exodus decided to part ways with their charismatic and popular frontman Paul Baloff. They fired him in order to reach a broader audience, so Exodus recruited Steve "Zetro" Souza from The Legacy (pre-Testament). His Bon Scott-inspired vocals made Exodus a different band, Pleasures of the Flesh is a far less aggressive and somewhat more mature and controlled album. Another thing is that time was not on Exodus side, after the delayed Bonded By Blood it took the band some time to get their second studio effort out and by 1987 this is a rather tame effort compared to your Master of Puppets, Reign in Blood and Peace Sells, in terms of production values and musical prowess. But Pleasures of the Flesh is far from a bad album, I would probably rank it as number two after Bonded By Blood in their catalogue.
The H-Team (Holt & Hunolt) delivers some excellent riffs on the album, just listen to the song Brain Dead, where the band decided to repeat one excellent riff for the whole song. Other strong tracks are: Pleasures of the flesh, 'Til eath do us part, Seeds of hate and Chemi-kill. The album was seen as a let down after the brilliant Bonded By Blood, especially amongst the fans that prefer a more vicious Exodus. But when you look back upon it, Pleasures of the flesh amongst their best releases despite the somewhat muddy production. Exodus are no poets, their lyrics was a bit childish in te beginning but I think lyricwise this is a better album than Fabulous Disaster, when the band gets a little bit too unserious for my personal taste. There is definitely some crunchy riffs on Pleasures of the Flesh and the album is also somewhat underrated.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXODUS - BONDED BY BLOOD (1985)
In 1984, the lineup of Baloff, Holt, Hunolt, McKillop and Hunting went into the Prairie Sun Studios in San Francisco with Audio Engineer Mark Whitaker. When they left the studio they had recorded the greatest metal album of all time.
Comparisons with rivals METALLICA and their Kill 'Em All has followed Bonded By Blood ever since it was released in 1985. Sure the chainsaw like guitars are here as well but Bonded By Blood is a much more aggressive album, Much thanks to their charismatic front man Paul Baloff and his homicidal and quite demented approach to singing, Paul is definitely no Hetfield, but he more then well makes up for it with attitude. The lyrics are also something that differs from Metallica's debut, the lyrics here are much more violent and it was not completely rare that the band draws references to Satan. But Bonded By Blood was no black metal album either.
Bonded By Blood are excellent right through, every riff, solo, vocal line and drumbeat provides to the greatness of the album. There are no place for fillers here, Bonded By Blood is one of those rare albums that really doesn't have any weak tracks. How many albums do you know that has songs of the same magnitude as "Bonded By Blood", "Exodus", "And Then There Were None", "Piranha" and "Strike of the Beast". I really love the guitars on Bonded By Blood, how they sound, from the saw-toothed staccato guitar attack to a blistering, precision pace throughout the album.
I like the authentic sound on the album, it's pure thrash with no extra fluff fluff. The production isn't clean and sterilized like most productions of today. There is a purity and a youthful honesty to Bonded By Blood that are hard to come about these days. Sure the lyrics aren't that thoughtful and at times they are even immature. But as said before, that just adds to the authenticity of the album. Things doesn't have to be perfect, but they sure are evil, violent and murderous.
I really wished that Exodus would have kept going with Paul Baloff, imagine what he could have done if he wasn't fired from the band in 1987. Maybe Exodus would have remained as violent as they were here and if so, things might have been pretty different. But all these what if's doesn't change anything. But no matter what, we all should be grateful that Exodus managed to record and release such an incredible album. It's definitely one of my all-time favourites.
Bonded by Blood is truly a landmark in thrash metal. It remains one of the most important albums of the genre besides Metallica's Kill 'Em All and Slayer's Reign in Blood. The album set the standard in the Bay Area and it set the bar for other bands to follow; Testament, Heathen, Forbidden, Vio-Lence, Defiance - You name it. Bonded By Blood is a groundbreaking masterpiece in every way, and I consider it to be the purest definition of the genre we all love. If you ask me, I must say that it is the best metal album to ever be pressed on black vinyl.
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⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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EXOCIST - NIGHTMARE THEATRE (1986)
Exorcist, popped up out of nowhere and released the magnificent Nightmare theatre but they where never heard from again. The lineup isn't what it seems like because both Damian Rath & Marc Dorian used fake names, their real names are: David DeFeis & Edward Pursino of Virgin Steele. The album is as dark as thrash could be, with a haunting atmosphere and occult/horror lyrics. There are rumours going round that this was another fake band that the records companies tried to earn money from by hiring Virgin Steele's David DeFeis.
If that's true or not doesn't bother me. Half of the songs are just sound effects of falling rain, moans, thunders and stuff like that. It's not as annoying as it sounds though. Some bands thinks that they needs to play like a death metal band to sound evil, but this is a perfect example that you can write some truly evil stuff without growling or grinding the drums. The sound can be described as a mix of early Running wild with early Slayer or perhaps this is what Misfits would have sounded like if they played thrash metal. If you ever stumble into Nightmare Theatre buy it no matter what!
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If that's true or not doesn't bother me. Half of the songs are just sound effects of falling rain, moans, thunders and stuff like that. It's not as annoying as it sounds though. Some bands thinks that they needs to play like a death metal band to sound evil, but this is a perfect example that you can write some truly evil stuff without growling or grinding the drums. The sound can be described as a mix of early Running wild with early Slayer or perhaps this is what Misfits would have sounded like if they played thrash metal. If you ever stumble into Nightmare Theatre buy it no matter what!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
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