Tag: exciter

Ottawa’s very own heavy metal maniacs have been around in one form another since ’78, but the line up and this band name are from ’80. This is Exciter’s second release, from ’84. I vividly remember buying this and sprinting home to hear the delights within. I was big into the whole thrash thing at the time as it was fresh, exciting, and loud. Exciter do not get the credit they deserve. This album and similarly, Kill Em All influenced a ton of bands. This album still stands up well within the genre, and is a classic of the time. It was produced by Carl Canedy of The Rods, and the raw in your face sound was perfect for the band.

The title track is the birth of speed metal. It has a kick-ass simple groove and riff played as fast as possible without losing the bounce. Pounding Metal has an old school approach, as the riff is straight out of the seventies but the sound and vibe are awesome. In fact, it’s very similar in style and sound as Anvil’s Metal On Metal, who were just down the road. Favourite track is Destructor. It is full of pace and groove, giving the listeners that full on metal experience.

The band were taking the riffs and ideas from the NWOBHM bands and taking the sound a step further. This album is up there with Kill Em All and Bonded By Blood as one of the best early thrash albums.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

Formed in’ 78, and hailing from my adopted home town of Ottawa, this is the band’s first full length album on Shrapnel. They also appeared on compilation US Metal Vol2. They were quite an influential band as they are considered to be one of the first speed metal bands. All the clichés are here that you would associate with metal bands of this period, but I think it’s part of the fun. You can hear that they desperately wanted to be a part of the embryonic thrash scene at the time. They are loads better than some of the second wave of NWOBHM bands that were so bad. These guys deserved their shot.

So the tracks that I think are a cut above are Mistress Of Evil, Under Attack, and Cry Of The Banshee. As with most bands that didn’t quite make the big time, they have had their share of line up changes and drama. They no longer have any original members, as John Ricci quit in 2018. If you are a collector of early thrash albums, then this should be in your collection.

8/10 from The Grooveman.