EXUMER – “FIRE & DAMNATION”
METAL BLADE (2012)
As a young 80s Thrasher I was naturally interested in the works of bands such as Metallica, Exodus, Slayer and Megadeth, but after a while, I found myself drawn to more obscure bands of the then up-and-coming genre. Though I equally liked Thrash bands from both sides of the Pond, the European sound was always closer to my heard and one of the first bands I discovered in the mid-to-late 80s was the German outfit Exumer. Following the release of two impressive albums, 1986s “Possessed By Fire” and 1987s “Rising From The Sea” the Wiesbaden quintet decided to disband back in 1991 and now, a good twenty-one years later, to make a comeback with the album “Fire & Damnation”. Is there anything at all interesting that these veterans have to offer to Thrash Metal in the year 2012?
The decision as to whether or not you are going to like and enjoy “Fire & Damnation” depends on two things: whether you have been following the band’s career from the start, and how you choose to react to a release that has purposefully been made to sound as though it was written back in the 80s. For an 80s Thrash kid like me, “Fire & Damnation” is a real treat. The guys in Exumer are not trying to re-invent Thrash with these ten new compositions, nor to compete with giants of the genre, such as those mentioned above. What they are trying to do is have fun playing music and this definitely comes across! Simple riffs, catchy refrains and Slayer-influenced guitar solos, the band’s ‘staple’ from day one, are again the fuel that feeds this particular fire in the year 2012 – what’s not to love?
From the opening riff of the same-titled “Fire & Damnation”, one of many odes to the mighty Slayer, things start well. The bombastic opening riff and accompanying lead melody of “Vermin Of The Sky” is one of my favourite moments of the album, followed by the rhythmically more controlled “The Weaker Limb” – a song whose main vocals are reminiscent of those of the late Paul Baloff (Exodus). More head banging riffs and intricate solos can be found on “A New Morality” and “Waking The Fire”, while the twin guitar melodies of the fairly dynamic “Fallen Saint” make this the main highlight of the album. “Crushing Point” is a decent tune but somewhat average, so it is down to the short up-tempo “Devil Chaser” to pick up the lost momentum. In “I Dare You” we have another simple/average composition, however Mem V. Stein’s commanding vocals in “Tribal Furies” ensure that the album finishes on a good note.
So here we have it: a new Exumer album after twenty five whole years! Was it worth the wait? If the band’s goal was to acquire a new career at this stage in their lives then the answer is probably “no”. As previously mentioned, though, I believe that the band’s motivation behind “Fire & Damnation” was to present the wide world with the music that they love and, in that respect, Exumer’s third studio album is a very successful affair. I am not sure how the youngest readers will feel about this album, but chances are that they will like it as much as we ‘oldies’ will – that is if it just so happens that they already sport a Deathrow, Viking, Darkness or Protector patch on their denim jacket!
John Stefanis
Rating: ***1/2 (3.5/5.0)
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