### Exciter: Heavy metal maniac

#### 29/04/14 || Dinu

Exciter are a thrash trio from Canada. They are the godfathers of the 80s speed metal scene and have had a lasting influence on trash metal. “Heavy metal maniac” is their first album that was released in 1983. This album is like a haunted house ride at an amusement park. There are some really intense is moments that are juxtaposed with some good o’l chunky and groovy riffs. It might take multiple listens before you get accustomed to the sound but its worth the effort.

The album opener is “Holocaust”, an instrumental with riffs exploding before slithering into “Stand up and fight”, a speed metal anthem if there ever was one. The vocals are ferocious and the boys go wild on this one. “Heavy metal maniac” is the grooviest of the lot and the vocals are delicious on this track. “Iron acts” acts as an interlude, the tempos lose their heat and rumbles along to “Mistress of evil”. This is my favorite song off the album mainly because the lyrics are ridiculously fun and take me back to my days of watching the Annie Oakley show.

“Under Attack” goes on for 4 minutes and is packed with riffs, punchy drumming and some mean vocals. This is the most intense track in the album and just when you think the album couldn’t get any tighter, we are assaulted by “Rising of the dead” which is pure maniacal riffing and so much fun to listen to. “Black Witch” is the penultimate track and is the longest. It goes on and on for a full seven minutes and I was bored by a lot of bits. I wish they had kept it shorter and a bit more tight. “Cry of the banshee” is the final track and its one for the keeps. This song packs a lot in its three and a half minute frame and is full of catchy hooks and thrashing all over.

All in all, it was great fun revisiting the 80s thrash scene. The roots of thrash metal certainly have a lot of hidden gems and for all the noise they made, Exciter have been consistently underrated. After this debut, they went to release eleven albums and the most recent one was “Death Machine” which came out in 2010. This has, is and will be one of the best speed metal bands in the canon and “Heavy metal maniac” is an album that will stay with you for a long, long time.

8,5:

- Information
- Released: 1983, reissued in 2005
- Label: Shrapnel Records, reissue by Megaforce Records
- Website: www.excitermetal.com
- Band
- Allan Johnson : bass
- John Ricci: guitars
- Dan Beehler: vocals and drums

- Tracklist
- 01. The Holocaust
- 02. Stand Up and Fight
- 03. Heavy Metal Maniac
- 04. Iron Dogs
- 05. Mistress of Evil
- 06. Under Attack
- 07. Rising of the Dead
- 08. Black Witch
- 09. Cry of the Banshee