Exciter
Unveiling the Wicked

Surely nostalgia is a terrible thing.

Going from listening to a well-crafted album like "Long Live The Loud", to asking yourself during the listen "But why not give that other album a spin too?"

At least, that’s almost always how it happens to me. When you want to start delving into an artist, you usually try their best releases first, and then if you wish, move on to the others.

"I’ll skip the debut album, too raw. At least, that’s what the review says...”

“The experimental one as well, at most I'll listen to two tracks, the rest will all be the same."

I was just talking about Long Live The Loud, the third album by the Canadian band Exciter released in 1985, a group considered among the founders of the Speed Metal genre, featuring members like singer/drummer Dan Beehler, guitarist John Ricci, and bassist Allan Johnson. Three years, three hits. These Canadians hadn’t backed down even an inch in their attempt to destroy with musical fury, note after note, the stereo system of anyone who listened to them.

However, Exciter didn’t have a career all roses and flowers, and they’re partly to blame, I must say. They absolutely refused a tour with Slayer, because according to John Ricci, Kerry King’s band was slowly losing popularity. That was a mistake, which the Canadian group would soon regret.

Whether it was the shift in sound, aimed towards greater use of melodies, or just the desire to change, "Unveiling The Wicked" came out in 1986. The album of decline for some, the definitive consolidation of the group's sound for others, but it undeniably sparked quite a debate at the time of its release. The reasons for this flop are numerous, chief among them being the departure of guitarist John Ricci after the end of the "Long Live The Loud" tour. Internal disagreements, desire to change were the justifications. In his place, Brian McPhee was recruited, a good guitarist of course, but lacking the energy and speed that characterized Ricci.

Without even discussing the horrible cover, the album is undoubtedly a watershed. There are points in its favor, primarily the solid opener "Break Down The Walls", or the intense "Live Fast, Die Young". It should be noted, however, that Beehler doesn’t hold back at all in any of the 9 songs, singing with that rough, high-pitched tone that made him famous in previous records. Still excellent is "Mission Destroy", perhaps coupled with a riff too simple by the band's accustomed standards, yet enjoyable nonetheless.

The troubles, if we want to call them that, begin with rather bland tracks like "I Hate (School Rules)", which seems to have been pulled from a Twisted Sister album, or the unnecessary and brief instrumental "Brainstorm". Of course, they’re not to be considered bad songs, but they are very far from Exciter’s style and disappointing to those who loved their previous works. "Shout It Out" tries to recapture the anthemic march of tracks like "Pounding Metal" (from the second album "Violence & Force"), with poor results. Thus, you reach the end of the album feeling disappointed, not so much by the quality of the songs, but by the attitudinal change the group decided to undertake in those years. Only in 1992 with "Kill After Kill", and Ricci's return on guitar, could it be said again that you were hearing Exciter as they were known, but those times were still far off.

"Unveiling The Wicked" is far from being labeled a failure, but let’s say it is more forgettable. It's the kind of album where the store clerk looks at you and says, "No look, this is bad. Trust me, it’s bad. Take the other one, I’ll even give you a discount!" And not understanding what’s happening, you politely refuse and take home what you chose, thinking on the way back that you might have made a mistake, but what the heck, it’s still music. Maybe not of outstanding levels, but still music.