Exciter Death Machine
by Justin Gaines
Staff Writer
2010’s Death Machine is album number ten from long-running Canadian speed metal pioneers Exciter. It’s the second album from the current Exciter lineup, which features relative newcomers Kenny “Metal Mouth” Winter on vocals and bassist Rob Cohen alongside long-time drummer Rich Charron and founding guitarist John Ricci.
With riffs and a verse structure very reminiscent of Judas Priest’s “Rapid Fire,” (fitting for a band that took its name from a Judas Priest song) Death Machine kicks off with the blistering thrasher “Death Machine,” which pretty well sets the tone for an album that boasts songs like “Skull Breaker,” “Power and Domination” and “Hellfire.” Death Machine is very much a traditional Exciter album. Aside from the (slightly) slower and almost doomy “Power and Domination,” Death Machine is full speed all the way from start to finish. John Ricci’s riffs are blindingly fast, causing you to want to dust off the old “speed metal” label instead of calling this kind of metal thrash. The riffs are matched in intensity by Charron and Cohen’s heavy rhythms and a gruff vocal performance by the “Metal Mouth.” Kenny Winter sounds a lot like Udo Dirkschneider here, which works surprisingly well with Exciter’s sound.
So what’s the down side? A sound so unabashedly old school is going to seem more than a little dated. Exciter has essentially been working from the same template for nearly 30 years, so Death Machine feels like more of the same. Then again, most Exciter fans are probably looking for exactly that. Another variation of the “Long Live the Loud” theme will do just fine, thanks.
It’s not as vital sounding as their previous album (2008’s excellent Thrash Speed Burn), but Death Machine is a perfectly solid slab of high-octane speed metal. While nowhere near as essential as the band’s classic ‘80s albums, serious Exciter fans will still want to check it out.
Genre: Speed Metal
Band:
Kenny Winter (v)
John Ricci (g)
Rick Charron (d)
Rob Cohen (b)
Track Listing:
1. Death Machine
2. Dungeon Descendants
3. Razor In Your Back
4. Pray for Pain
5. Power and Domination
6. Hellfire
7. Demented Prisoners
8. Slaughtered in Vain
9. Skull Breaker
Label: Massacre
Website: www.myspace.com/exciterofficial
Hardrock Haven rating: 7/10