EXUMER is an old school Thrash outfit from Germany. Since their establishment in 1984, they have released four albums while having an on-and-off career. This month, they released their fifth studio album via Metal Blade Records. The opening track "Hostile Defiance" starts the show with no drama whatsoever, attacking straightforwardly harsh. But beneath this aggressive assault is a series of basic riffs. "Raptor" is another song that fails to burst enough energy to keep a listener interested. The tempo is not fast enough to be a raptor. The sound and overall vibe is almost the same as opener song but longer. What really differentiates it is that it has a much better drum work.

"Dust eater" is the first track that actually contained cool riffs. It's a perfect thrash mid-pacer and is really reminiscent of SLAYER's "Mandatory Suicide". "King's End" is where they showcased that good old school sound. It is the most aggressive song in the album, outmatching the energy and power given off by the first songs by a mile. What truly added to the energy is Mem Von Stein's amazing work on vocals. Meanwhile, they have showed a bit of their punk side with "Vertical Violence" which has a garage sound nearly similar to THE EXPLOITED's "Fuck the System". Two bonus tracks wrap up the album, and apparently one of those happened to be a cover of SCORPIONS' "He's a Woman - She's a Man". I'll be straightforward here - that cover is awful, and it fucking butchered the classic song. However, the last song "Supposed to Rot" comes in to the rescue. It is in fact the shortest song in the album but it is the most aggressive, most energetic, thrashiest and most hostile among the twelve songs.

To sum it up, "Hostile Defiance" is at a mediocre to average level album. Although it has its amazing moments, it lacks the ability to stick into your head. The energy is also too low, and it becomes boring at times. The album would've been a lot better if Mem Von Stein used more yells. The riffs are vast, but generic. And the solos? Not too interesting, if not interesting at all. This album is a far cry from their classic "Possessed by Fire".Overall: 5