Exciter - Heavy Metal Maniac

Tracks

Side 1

		Track Name	Length
	1	The Holocaust	01:39
	2	Stand Up and Fight	02:47
	3	Heavy Metal Maniac	03:47
	4	Iron Dogs	05:58
	5	Mistress of Evil	05:13

Side 2

		Track Name	Length
	1	Under Attack	04:17
	2	Rising of the Dead	03:32
	3	Blackwitch	07:00
	4	Cry of the Banshee	03:47

Photos

Videos

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Information/Write-up

After contributing the song "World War III" to Shrapnel Records' U.S. Metal, Vol. 2 compilation, Exciter promptly signed with Shrapnel and recorded their full-length debut, Heavy Metal Maniac, in 1983. Though their debt to Judas Priest was clear for all to see (starting with their name, of course), the album packed a hard-edged ferocity and love for speed that pushed it well beyond the bounds of "classic" heavy metal and into the realms of the then-nascent speed metal movement. Its rough production values and nearly out-of-control distortion added a crucial punk attitude and provided the "push over the cliff," as it were, that characterized most of thrash's original stars (Metallica, Exodus, Slayer). That being said, time has proven that Heavy Metal Maniac is a much more one-dimensional affair than, say, Kill 'Em All, but this wasn't nearly as obvious in the heady days of thrash metal's infancy, and songs like "Cry of the Banshee," "Stand Up and Fight," and the excellent title track are all mini-classics in their own right. The 2005 CD reissue of Heavy Metal Maniac on Megaforce Records includes five bonus tracks, including a pair of radio interviews with bandmembers.
-Eduardo Rivadavia. AllMusic

Unlike some of the olden chestnuts I’ve tabbed for a retro-spective look back, Exciter is a bit better known and had a more successful run in the gerbil wheel of metal. Still, I feel like they’re one of those bands tumbling off the radar of younger bashers, and that’s a low down, dirty shame! Along with Anvil, Exciter was one of Canada’s earliest metal exports and, like Anvil, they played a part in the birth of the speed/thrash genres. Their Heavy Metal Maniac debut arrived in 1983, right alongside Metallica’s Kill Em All and Slayer’s Show No Mercy, and had things broken differently, it might have been them (or Anvil for that matter) claiming the position of flag bearer for the fledgling style. Their debut certainly had attitude, balls and grit and while it couldn’t match the overall heaviness Metallica and Slayer brought to bear, it’s nearly as catchy and memorable, and its anthemic, fist-pumping energy is hard to resist.

Rather than adopting a quasi-satanic vibe like Slayer, or a crunchy “speed for speed’s sake” approach like Metallica, Exciter took what were basically traditional metal ideas and sped them up to Motorhead-like tempos and beyond. Their raucous speed combined with a one-of-a-kind, static-filled, fuzzed out guitar tone set them apart from anyone else. Tracks like “Stand Up and Fight,” “Cry of the Banshee” and the rowdy title track rumble and roar with a primal, adrenaline-fueled lust and although the playing and song structures are as simple as can be, they stick with you and rattle around in your head like some kind of purgatory pop music. Take “Rising of the Dead” or “Under Attack” for example: they couldn’t be more rudimentary in form or conception, but both smoke and shake with pure, old school metallic rage in a way that makes me smile to this day.

Exciter-4Even when they slow to an ugly mid-tempo grind on “Iron Dogs,” the music still sounds venomous and menacing. Hell, even the semi-ballad “Blackwitch” simmers and roils with barely suppressed aggression and antisocial intentions. At a mere 37 minutes (unless your version included “World War II” and “Feel the Knife”), it’s a short, but relentless pummel and every song hits the spot and stays with you. No filler, no screwing around, just serious metal with a mean streak.

Acting as a power trio, Exciter were notable as the only speed/thrash act where the drummer also handled vocals, and Dan Beehler was quite the sight to behold live, bashing away at the skins with abandon while uncorking his gruff shouts, infamous shrieks and stuck pig wails. Though he kept things pretty simple on the debut, that crazy upper register makes appearances (especially on “Cry of the Banshee”). Those wails became much more commonplace on later releases, thereby making him a love or truly hate kind of vocalist.

John Ricci’s guitar playing was never flashy and often lacked technical precision, but his fast, sloppy, and frenetic style suited the Exciter ethos perfectly. He perpetually sounded as if he was losing control of the wall of sound he was hurling from the amps and his solos sounded like they were building inevitably toward a nuclear conflagration that all were powerless to stop. In short, it sounded metal-as-fuck.

BEEHExciterMetallica ultimately got all the credit for the thrash explosion and along with Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, stole most of the publics’ attention. Exciter never got mentioned in the same breath as these acts, and that’s a real shame. They churned out three high quality thrash outings (Violence and Force being one of my all time favorite albums) before spiraling into career disaster with Unveiling the Wicked, and all the early output stands the critical test of time. Give Exciter their due and spin this album and the two that followed. They deserve it and you will enjoy it. Win win.

Heavy Metal Maniac is the debut album from legendary Canadian Speed/Thrash band Exciter, one of the cornerstone groups from the Great White North along with the likes of Razor, Anvil and Infernäl Mäjesty. Exciter burst on to the scene, burned white hot for a relatively brief time and faded in and out of the picture over the next couple of decades (and are active with the original lineup again as of this review), but not before releasing three classic albums. Heavy Metal Maniac is essentially a demo the band recorded in their soundman's basement that was brimming with pent-up aggression at not moving forward as fast as they'd hoped (according to quotes from guitarist John Ricci on the band's website). Shrapnel Records' Mike Varney got his hands on a copy, liked what he heard and released it basically "as is", accounting for the raw energy and dubious sound. There are some clumsy edits and the whole thing has a cluttered sound with the instruments and vocals falling over each other. What can't be denied is the amazing energy on tracks like "Heavy Metal Maniac", "Rising of the Dead" and "Cry of the Banshee." Some of the writing isn't as engaging, but these songs show what the band was capable of. John Ricci and Allan Johnson burned up their respective fret boards and drummer/vocalist Dan Beehler pounds the hell out of both his drums and his vocal chords. He uses more of a mid-range bark and only hits the insane high notes that would become his trademark on later albums a few times, notably "Cry of the Banshee" (natch). Even though the production has a dated sound, it is obvious through the murk that Exciter was ready to bring the goods, and bring them they did.

John Ricci: guitar, backing vocals
Alan Johnson: bass, backing vocals
Dan Beehler: lead vocals, drums

Produced by John Belrose
Recorded in August 1982 at The Dungeon Studios, Aylmer, Quebec
Mastered by Paul Stubblebineat at The Automatt, San Francisco, California, USA
Reissued by Roadrunner in 1986

Cover design and artwork by Andy B. at Dead Parrot Productions
Photography by William P. McElligott

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