Death Machine

Exciter

Yes, EXCITER are back. Hot and pure Heavy Metal straight from the primary and uncontaminated […]
By Yiannis Doukas
December 14, 2010
Exciter - Death Machine album cover

Yes, EXCITER are back. Hot and pure Heavy Metal straight from the primary and uncontaminated source. Speed capable of making you turning whirligig all the time, music that will transform you into a maniac spiting out the biggest screams from your bloody throat following the verses and refrains.

"Thrash, Speed, Burn" introduced us into a new era for the band, two years ago. The basis of course was the new singer, Kenny Winter who so far looks like the best choice for EXCITER; keep in mind that always the singer here was of a major importance. Add to that, the bass player Clammy who had replaced Marc Charron. During these years EXCITER did some gigs and in this record we see that the four of them have created a strong and powerful unit. Apart from the member changes all these years, the band -if you don't know- has been teaching Metal since 1983, and their music has remained the same. And this is the basic element for this band. They manage to bring this madness and maniac feeling from the past but in my opinion they don't sound cliché. They also have nothing to do with all these new bands that try to be old-school sacrificing everything, if you know what I mean.

I realize that to many this album may sound just the same with the previous or that the tracks may be too simple but you will lose the true meaning here. And the meaning here is that this record, as all the others of course, carries such a Metal lust inside that is undeniable. The ending of the self-titled is killer, the riffs in "Dungeon Descendants" and specially the chorus gives so much to listener that only bands like them can give. The game here is in the details. And EXCITER are masters in this.

"Power And Domination" gives some time to catch a breath, since it is more mid tempo although even this one finds me in ecstatic moments. Tracks like "Hellfire" or "Pray For Pain" have the typical EXCITER approach to music while "Slaughtered In Vain" is made of such ingredients that is impossible for a Metal ear not to like it. An overdose of metallic madness.

Do we have anything negative to say about "Death Machine"? Yes, but these affect the microcosm of EXCITER and have nothing to do with the whole result if you look it macroscopically. First, I think that if we compare "Death Machine" with the previous three albums probably is the less good. Second, I expected something more from Kenny Winter judging by what I had heard in "Thrash, Speed, Burn". Sometimes he looks very similar to David Wayne (R.I.P.) and this is not working perfect. Maybe in some songs a more clean vocal approach could fit better. Apart these two facts all the others are as I said perfect. The sound is amazing, pure power made again by Manfred Leidecker who was the guy back from all the reunion albums except the previous one. Also impressive is the artwork where is reflected the whole lyrical concept behind dealing with sadistic torture things. A Metal theme surely but the lyrics inside the booklet are wrong written unfortunately
.
To end this review in an apotheosis of unbiased opinion I have to say that EXCITER are of those bands that you don't say you just like them. This band is of total worship and nothing more.

9 / 10

Almost Perfect

"Death Machine" 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 Prisoner
  8. Slaughtered In Vain
  9. Skull Breaker
Exciter Lineup:

Kenny Winter - Vocals
John Ricci - Guitars
Clammy - Bass
Rik Charron - Drums

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