Badass Canadian trio that put out three head-pounding, ear-blowing albums back in the early 80's. On their fourth album, Unveiling the Wicked they turned to crap...and made matters worse by hiring a lead singer for their self-titled fifth album! (Up til then, the drummer handled lead vocals, and in the words of an old college friend, "They're trying to become a real band now.") Granted, some of their recent stuff is okay (even though the band lineup has completely changed), but I think I'll stick with their early stuff, thank you.

"Heavy Metal Maniac"

1. "The Holocaust"--instrumental (1:43)
2. "Stand Up and Fight" (2:45)
3. "Heavy Metal Maniac" (3:48)
4. "Iron Dogs" (6:00)
5. "Mistress of Evil" (5:16)
6. "Under Attack" (4:17)
7. "Rising of the Dead" (3:33)
8. "Blackwitch" (7:04)
9. "Cry of the Banshee" (3:49)
10. "World War III" (3:44)

Talk about a cheap reissue, this CD doesn't even have a label name or catalog number! On the bright side, it's got a bonus track "World War III" from one of the various U.S. Metal compilations (remember those?? Shrapnel's answer to the Metal Massacre series....) No "Feel the Knife", however, which is becoming a total pisser.

"Violence & Force"

1. "Oblivion"--instrumental (0:33)
2. "Violence & Force" (4:04)
3. "Scream in the Night" (4:14)
4. "Pounding Metal" (4:35)
5. "Destructor" (4:18)
6. "Swords of Darkness" (3:57)
7. "Delivering to the Master" (6:06)
8. "Saxons of the Fire" (3:27)
9. "War is Hell" (6:19)

This album holds the record for the shortest time spent on my "Kill For" list...no more than 2 weeks after adding it (along with Long Live the Loud), it got reissued!! Unfortunately, they didn't bother putting the songs from their super-rare "Feel The Knife" EP on here. The packaging is pretty cheap, too. But that's Steamhammer for ya...

"Long Live the Loud/Feel the Knife"

1. "Fall Out"--instrumental (1:55)
2. "Long Live the Loud" (4:19)
3. "I Am the Beast" (4:50)
4. "Victims of Sacrifice" (4:58)
5. "Beyond the Gates of Doom" (5:08)
6. "Sudden Impact" (4:04)
7. "Born to Die" (6:03)
8. "Wake Up Screaming" (10:00)
9. "Feel the Knife" (2:57)
10. "Violence & Force"--live (4:23)
11. "Pounding Metal"--live (6:13)

Originally I bought this one around the same time as Violence & Force, and once again, no "Feel the Knife", dammit...well, one intrepid soul informed me that Molten Metal USA had an alternate version WITH that rare EP as bonus tracks!!! YIPPEE!!!! I love you guys!!

Suffice to say, this is the band's finest recording ever. A head-banging masterpiece, with quite a cavernous sound that makes it sound like it was recorded in an airplane hanger! Great vibe, though. "Wake Up Screaming" is a pure epic track, and "Feel the Knife" features a blisteringly fast and in-your-face guitar riff. If you only own one Exciter CD, this is the one to get!

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