Exciter was one of the original early 80’s “thrash metal” bands forged out of the pile of steel that Johnny Zazula gathered.  I still remember the first time I saw an Exciter album cover, a knife being dropped by a pair of beefy gorilla hands slammed in a doorframe by the hands of a hapless female victim.  So 80’s.  Violence and Force was their second album of fast, heavy, brutal, and unbeknownst to me at the time, Canadian metal.

I thought like most of Johnny Z’s exploits on Megaforce Records, they had to be American.  It wasn’t til this past Sunday nite at the Metal Queen Management Music Festival, while conversing with member/Exciter founder, John Ricci, that the band was born in our nation’s capital.  That would be Ottawa to all you geographically challenged fucks out there.

So after a week of pondering what to write about Exciter, I decided to just tell the truth which is what I usually do around here.  Truth is, I don’t know Jack Shite about the band other than what I’ve read on the internet recently and what John told me before and after the show.  I couldn’t name a tune of theirs if you put it on eleven.  In fact I couldn’t even identify the band by sound if you decided to play Rock n Roll Jeopardy with me. So I guess that makes for the most honest and unbiased of reviews doesn’t it?  More truth.  Truth is, Exciter was exciting. They commanded the stage like the pros they are.  They’re tighter than a 13 year old nun in training.  How?  I don’t know cuz according to their tour schedule, there’s not a lotta shows lined up.  This either means they are just so damn good musically, they don’t need to play a lot to stay good OR they jam their asses off every chance they get.

Yeah they’re next gig is in February 2009 in ITALY.  When these guys play, they play big.  The Europeans know, remember, and love these guys and I’m glad they do.  I love to see a band have success somewhere even if it isn’t at home.  John was telling me every year they do a show or two somewhere in Europe and mentioned the Wacken Festivals as being some of the greatest times being treated really well and with huge respect as a pioneer in the art of thrash should be.  A quick flip through their guestbook shows you where their fans are.  Germany.  Being in a band like Exciter, I’d be so tempted to pull up roots and just MOVE to where the action is.  Over in Germany and places like that, metal is number one.  The people decide what’s the #1 song on the charts, not like here where a boardroom full of gravy train riders decide what is going to be the next biggest thing. Most of our radio stations have their heads so far up their asses they don’t know Jack from Shit.  We’ve been pummeled with so much garbage for “music” that we don’t even know what good music IS anymore.  By “WE” I mean the average asshole on the street.  Ask one of those A.D.D. ridden teeny boppers what their favourite band is and most of em can’t even tell you the name.  For an answer you get “oh oh oh uh uh uh… that song on the radio that goes.. um… uh… “here I am, bend me over and spoonfeed me whatever you want me to like”… uh yeah.. that’s the tune I’m spinning these days.  And ya gotta like the tune or you’re gonna hate it.  Reason you’re gonna hate it is cuz every like minded station (and there’s a fuckin truck load of them) are gonna spin that song every couple hours… so as you’re flipping through the dial you find the same song is ALWAYS on!!!!!  I swear if I hear “I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It” one more fuckin time I’m gonna go ape shit and shoot some place up.  Go down in a hail of bullets!!!  Put me outta my misery man!!!  This brings me to my next point, why do they shoot up some fast food restaurant when they lose it?  Why don’t they shoot up the bullshit radio stations instead?  Starting with the programming director.

FUCKIT.  More truth.  Fuck did Exciter ever rock.  I didn’t know what to expect.  I see these 4 guys milling about, friendly as hell.  Right from the beginning, they’re showing interest in every band on that stage and chatting with clueless assholes such as myself. Putting up with dumb questions and the odd drooling fan.  But when they hit the stage, man did they come alive.  Clammy, the bassist, had the most kick ass looking guitar I’ve ever seen.  Definitely one of a kind.  I just couldn’t see that unit being some production model falling off the end of the line in some metal bass factory anywhere.  I thought Stan from Bobnoxious had a cool fuckin bass but this bitch that Clammy calls his baby, is the motherfucker of all basses and can this guy play?  Fuck yeah.  Not just a fancy lookin bass.  I saw enough of that this night.  Someone with a beautiful 5 string beauty who couldn’t stop fuckin up for the life of them.. just goes to show, you can hand anyone the best equipment but can they PLAY the shit?

Rik Charron killed on drums.  This guy’s got a double kick from hell and he better cuz most of Exciter’s tunes are flowing double time.  Again, a fuckin seriously nice guy, mellow off the stage, pure Canadian guy who works for Revenue Canada during the day (*GASP) but slap on the leather, put him behind his Pearl’s and look the fuck out.  Mr. Nice Guy turns into a fuckin killer.

The new guy from New York, Kenny Winter, no relation to Johnny or Edgar, has the dubious task of fronting this band that has had a long history and fairly high turnover of front men.  Each of which sings like Opera Man on acid.  I think most of the singer’s who’ve fronted Exciter could have replaced Judas Priest’s Rob Halford in a pinch as I’m sure they’ve all covered Priest in numerous bands.  Hell, even Exciter covered a Priest tune that night.  More truth.  Kenny can fuckin SING man.  The highs he hits are incredibly ear piercing.  He’s definitely got that Cousin It look covered too as he’s all hair!  I’m sure if you shaved the guy down, you’d end up with this 120lb guy running around the stage and it would just freak people out so best to leave Samson with his mane. 

John Ricci, who I initially thought was a member of Spinal Tap lurking around, turned out to be another incredibly decent human being and even better guitar player.  As soon as he strapped on his Washburn I thought there’s a Kiss fan.  It’s the same guitar that Paul Stanley used during “the Elder” era.  Don’t know if it was a PS model or if John’s a Kiss fan, but every time I see that guitar which is almost never, I immediately think of Paul as he’s always had some killer looking guitars strapped to his hairy abdomen. Kinda looks like an Explorer with all the points lopped off.  Well that little Washburn got a fuckin workout that night I tell ya.  John doesn’t fuck around when it comes to shredding.. this guy drops his good guy persona at the side of the stage and takes on this warrior like stance with his axe as he intricately beats the living fuck out of his little baby.  Squeezing the shit out of it, plays shaken baby syndrome with it, hammers the fuck outta the tremolo system, but oh does that little creature respond.  He’s as good as he is humble.  Great combination.  I forgot to ask for their latest CD “Thrash Speed Burn” so I could tell you all about it, but I walked outta there without a copy and you’re just gonna have to take my word for it, if you like your thrash, your speed and you wanna burn, pick up this album and make it happen.

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