Review by Yiannis (John) Stefanis

I would like to start this gig review by first apologising for how short it is and secondly by clarifying one important thing: German Thrashers Exumer did not perform a headline show on the evening of the 19^th of February in London.

The man whose role was to fill that spot was Martin Walkyier who, with the assistance of the Italian Power Metallers Elvenking intended to perform a variety of Skyclad material. That, sadly, never happened as, following major disagreements with the gig promoter, the Italian band chose not to travel to the UK, leaving Walkyier in the unenviable position of having to cancel his performance.

The decision on the part of the Italian band led to a massive reshuffle, with M-Pire of Evil (featuring Mantas & Demolition man both of Venom fame) being promoted to headliners, and pushing German Thrashers Exumer up a notch.

As information of the cancellation of Walkyier’s and Elelvenking’s shows began to spread, many fans chose to claim a refund rather than support the remaining bands, with meant that Ravens Creed, the first band of the night hit the stage, ended up performing in front of no more than thirty punters.

Sadly, I did not manage to see much of their set, as I was backstage, conducting an interview with Exumer’s singer Mem V.Stein during most of that time, after which I found a good spot in the company of some newly acquired friends from which to enjoy my first ever Exumer gig.

I had read quite a few reviews of the band’s recent shows and they had all been fairly complimentary – something totally justified by the performance that the German/US quintet gave for us, regardless of both poor attendance and a none-too good sound.

Kicking off with mid-tempo “Winds Of Death”, the seasoned Thrashers performed a forty minute set that was split between material from their classic debut “Possessed By Fire” and their Metal Blade sponsored 2012 release “Fire & Damnation”.

“Journey To Oblivion” & “Fallen Angel” received a very good reception by the oldest fans amongst the crowd while new songs, like the “Weakest Limb” & “A New Morality” found their rightful place next to those classics.

As the band’s performance was progressing, both the sound quality and the band’s mood significantly improved leading to our enjoyment of quality versions of “I Dare You” and “Xiron Darkstar”.

It is difficult to imagine an Exumer gig without the inclusion of the cult classic “Possessed By Fire”, a song which was performed brilliantly by the band, however, prior to that, we were treated to an explosive version of “Fire & Damnation” – the same-titled song from the band’s 2012 release which proves the latest reincarnation of Exumer still has plenty to offer to our music scene.

In the twelve years that I have been attending gigs here in the UK, this was the most disappointing and most badly organised of them all, to the point that I decided to leave the venue three songs into the M-Pire of Evil set – something that my seventeen year old self would have truly despised.

Really, the only positive thing to take out of this shambles of an evening was the ability to finally see a band like Exumer live and to realise that, almost thirty years after they were first formed, these lads really know what a proper Thrash Metal show is all about.

I hope that Mem V.Stein are not disappointed by this experience to the point of not visiting London again as I am really looking forward to seeing these guys again in action.

Exumer Set List:

“Winds Of Death”
“Journey To Oblivion”
“The Weakest Limb”
“Fallen Saint”
“Vermin Of The Sky”
“A Mortal In Black”
“A New Morality”
“I Dare You”
“Xiron Darkstar”
“Fire & Damnation”
“Possessed By Fire”

Featured Artist: JOSH TAERK

Since early 2020 Josh has been entertaining us with exclusive monthly live sessions, streamed via Facebook.
In 2023 he signed a recording deal with Sony in Canada and released a new single on 15 September.

Next session: Sunday 1 December

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David Randall presents a weekly show on Get Ready to ROCK! Radio, Sundays at 22:00 GMT, repeated on Mondays and Fridays), when he invites listeners to ‘Assume The Position’. The show signposts forthcoming gigs and tours and latest additions at getreadytorock.com. First broadcast on 20 October 2024.

UK Blues Broadcaster of the Year (2020 and 2021 Finalist) Pete Feenstra presents his weekly Rock & Blues Show on Tuesday at 19:00 GMT as part of a five hour blues rock marathon “Tuesday is Bluesday at GRTR!”. The show is repeated on Wednesdays at 22:00, Fridays at 20:00). This show was first broadcast 22 October 2024.

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Power Plays w/c 28 October 2024

THE RASMUS Rest In Pieces (Better Noise Music)
THE PLAGUE What Else Can I Do (FiXT)
STAR CIRCUS Turn The Tide (indie)
DEFENCES Breathe It In (Long Branch Records)

Featured Albums w/c 28 October 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2003-2023 (Singer Songwriter)