Exumer
The Raging Tides
Metal Blade Records
2016
Exumer, the cult German Thrashers, the first to be “Possesed By Fire” and quite the unsung heroes of the genre, while they were actually a fairly competent bunch did “return” for good, in 2008 and have been going on since then matching their original two albums with another two since their permanent “reunion”. In fact, it’s funny to witness how much better they sound in the ‘10s as the modern production values, applied in an old school way, makes them sound a lot heavier and sturdier than they did in the 80s with a much “thinner” sound.
While as Germans, they have a tendency to sound say, a bit like Destruction or sometimes Sodom, there’s a strong Slayer/Exodus sort of influence in their sound, quite often and on “The Raging Tides” the band rejuvenated and sporting a new guitarist to complement long timer Ray Mensh, sounds incredibly tight and focused on delivering a kickass experience. What’s lovely about them, is that the Slayer influence is largely drawn from the earlier “speed” metal days that resulting in a blackened, dark and unforgiving grim and punishing brand of Thrash that’s really “the good shit”!
Without trying too hard, Exumer show the “young uns” how it’s done with a barrage of awesome speeding anthems beginning with the eponymous “The Raging Tides”, then “Brand of Evil” and “Sacred Defense” with only “Catatonic” slowing down temporarily. The band don’t let go, until the seventh or so track “Shadowalker”, where they somewhat curb their speed, but still they manage to sound evil and punishing in their mid-tempos with cool songs like “Dark Reflections” and the concluding bile spitting “Deaht Factory”. A couple of covers on Pentagram’s “Forever My Queen” and Grip Inc’s “Hostage to Heaven” round of the album quite nicely and if I could complain about something that would only have to be the relative sameness of some riffs. Otherwise it’s all effing killer with no filler really. Cool shit really. If you like old school thrash metal, you can’t go wrong with this! They hardly make them like this, anymore!
While as Germans, they have a tendency to sound say, a bit like Destruction or sometimes Sodom, there’s a strong Slayer/Exodus sort of influence in their sound, quite often and on “The Raging Tides” the band rejuvenated and sporting a new guitarist to complement long timer Ray Mensh, sounds incredibly tight and focused on delivering a kickass experience. What’s lovely about them, is that the Slayer influence is largely drawn from the earlier “speed” metal days that resulting in a blackened, dark and unforgiving grim and punishing brand of Thrash that’s really “the good shit”!
Without trying too hard, Exumer show the “young uns” how it’s done with a barrage of awesome speeding anthems beginning with the eponymous “The Raging Tides”, then “Brand of Evil” and “Sacred Defense” with only “Catatonic” slowing down temporarily. The band don’t let go, until the seventh or so track “Shadowalker”, where they somewhat curb their speed, but still they manage to sound evil and punishing in their mid-tempos with cool songs like “Dark Reflections” and the concluding bile spitting “Deaht Factory”. A couple of covers on Pentagram’s “Forever My Queen” and Grip Inc’s “Hostage to Heaven” round of the album quite nicely and if I could complain about something that would only have to be the relative sameness of some riffs. Otherwise it’s all effing killer with no filler really. Cool shit really. If you like old school thrash metal, you can’t go wrong with this! They hardly make them like this, anymore!