At first I was contemplating the strangeness if the name of this band, XIL. That is, until I put dots in between the letters and pronounced it as it should be; Exile. This is a three-piece band from Texas that is making a whole lotta noise. They come from San Antonio and must have degrees in history, as with their "Rip & Tear" album they are doing their best to try and emulate the middle period of the eighties as we remember it.

Please don't let yourself be put off by the keyboards that start the instrumental title track, as "Rip & Tear" is by far the best song on the album. If this doesn't take you back, you need to rethink your past. I'll try and explain which ingredients you will need to completer the XIL sound. You take a bit of "Bonded By Blood (EXODUS), a large dose of "Killing is My Business" (MEGADETH) and add that to the main portion, which is "Kill 'Em All" (METALLICA). Then give it a shake and add your own XIL sound as a topping. So; like I said, if the song "Rip & Tear" doesn't remind you of the latter you really need to be re-educated.  Even the aptly "Speedemons" will make you think you're listening to absolutely brilliant music hailing from the Dave Mustaine era of METALLICA.

After that is becomes the mix I described above. The main reason that EXODUS and MEGADETH are mentioned is that singer Austin James has a voice that is a cross between Dave Mustaine and Paul Baloff. Only this man can keep his tune, although he sometimes does sound awfully young. Plus, the way he has composed the vocal lines is very reminiscent of the way Paul Baloff used to do it. So at least you know what to expect when you play "Rip & Tear".

As for the quality of the songs, most of them are at least outstanding. Okay, I'll phrase it differently. If you ever wanted a "Kill 'Em All" part two, you could do a lot worse that "Rip & Tear", as the feel, the intensity, the quality and even the production have so much of that in spades that it is uncanny. And no, the impact of this album will not even come close to that of their peers, but does that mean you should ignore XIL? I really believe you shouldn't, as you will be pleasantly surprised. Let it happen, relive your youth. I have done and I am glad about it.