Long Live the Loud

To start with the conclusion, this is a real speed metal classic, enriched with the best elements of power metal (more) and thrash metal (less). But I guess the poor ones, who never listened to this jewel so far, want to be provided with more information. So I think I start again.

No doubt at all, the album shows Exciter celebrating their style of metal at its best. The melodic intro and the fast title track can be seen as a good entrance into this record, but surely they are not the best tunes on it. The outstanding part kicks off with the absolutely brilliant "I Am the Beast". Based on a simple yet highly efficient riff you could use for the definition of "neckbreaking", the song starts with high speed, ends with high speed and offers absolutely nothing else intermediately. The following "Victims of Sacrifice" contrasts with mid-tempo, powerful harmonies, original riffing and a gloomy atmosphere. Nevertheless, it is the second killer, inter alia due to the fact that Dan Beehler's sonorous voice has never sounded better. "Beyond the Gates of Doom" completes the triarchy, fast, furious and equipped with lyrics that fit perfectly ("beyond these gates you´ll obey or you burn, either way you never return" ...to bad and lame music, I would like to add). By the way, you must pay attention to the elongated scream of Beehler at the end of the track. It provides a unique listening experience.

Unfortunately, after this triple strike I always had to make a short break for starting the B-Side. Good, old vinyl-era! So it took a long time, until I realized that "Sudden Impact", a compact speed song with apocalyptic lyrics, reaches the same quality level as its three predecessors. The fourth masterpiece on this album... and the last one at once. The final two songs are surely no fillers, but they could have been ennobled with a little bit more power. If I would be forced to favor one of them, I would choose "Born to Die". It is more catchy, more fluid and surprises with a speed part at the end. But generally speaking, the entire album offered some unexpected moments and a relatively high degree of diversity.

I may not forget to mention the contemporary sound that gave space for all musicians to prove their skills. Separate to this, Exciter convinced because of their strong teamwork while performing like a well oiled engine. It seems that they really loved what they did back in 1985 - and my enthusiasm for their approach during the first years is still unbroken as well. Beehler, Ricci and Johnson formed a magical three-piece and complemented each other perfectly. With regard to this fascinating overall impression, it did not matter that the cover artwork was a little bit embarrassing. Anyway, it visualized the power of the album in a suitable manner.

To end with the conclusion... oh, you have read it yet.

The fact that Long Live the Loud was released on Exciter's third label in as many years is a testament to the volatility of the industry during those important years of metal growth in the early through mid 80s. Granted, the Canadians seemed to be working their way ever upward, but never quite scoring that hit full-length that would pave the way for the ultimate opportunities that bands like Slayer, Metallica and Megadeth were snatching up alongside the more popular acts of the British invasion around the turn of the decade.

To my ears, though, Long Live the Loud has proven the most definitive of Exciter experiences, a puerile but focused rush of intensity that delivers the pure speed metal rush I so loved about bands of this period like Savage Grace, Razor, Lizzy Borden and so forth, with comparable high pitched vocals and testosterone to spare. It might lack some of the innocence of Heavy Metal Maniac or Violence & Force, and the band's enigmatic, switchblade wielding hesher mascot had been handed his walking papers in favor of a cheesy, Manowar-like fantasy misogyny (though the Feel No Knife EP offers a brief role reprisal) but musically this is the most fun I've ever had with one of their albums, and the first I'd recommend to anyone seeking them out for the first time, inching just past the sophomore.

Still a three-piece, with John Ricci, Alan Johnson and Dan Beehler returning, the most important change between this and Violence & Force is probably the vocal quality. Where Beehler had a previous tendency to shift between mid-ranged yelling and higher-pitched shrieks, the latter seem to have become the norm here, and he's become capable of sustaining that range for a longer period of time. He's still not got the mightiest pipes on the scene, falling below the high standards set by your Rob Halfords, Lizzy Bordens and such, and at times I feel as if they come off a little fragile or depthless when leveled against the powerful drums and guitars, or cater to the 'screaming at the top of my lungs' caricature many often apply to similar bands, but I found them far less distracting than the less than fine-tuned performance of the sophomore.

Musically, Long Live the Loud is well structured and just beats the shit out of you once the dust from the guitar driven intro "Fall Out" subsides. "Long Live the Loud" and "I Am the Beast" rip out some punk-fueled, classic speed circa Venom and Motörhead but with the added perks of the shrill, banshee-like wailing of Beehler and the strong support of the gang shouted backing vocals. The guitar tone is loud and grating, the impulsive velocity incessant, and the leads here burn with a spirit that surpasses the previous albums. In particular I love how they open "I Am the Beast" with just the guitar raging off and then the rhythm section bursting in while Dan goes absolutely insane. After that, "Victims of Sacrifice" and "Beyond the Gates of Doom" maintain the solid momentum of familiar but forceful riffing, stopping only for the eerie organ intro to the latter and some punishing drum breaks.

Having never gotten the chance to see this band during their early years (I was like 11 when this came out), I can only imagine what they might have been like with the original lineup on stage. Beehler is a monster on his kit. He might not be technically the most gifted drummer playing in the genre at the time, but the mix of the beats has a phenomenal balance of voluminous crashing and sheer bravado that reminds me of other scorchers like Lizzy Borden's Love Me to Pieces or Razor's Executioner's Song. What's even better, he never really lets up. The entire album is quite consistent in quality, and even the band's first attempt at a 'proper' epic (they had songs around 7 minutes before), "Wake Up Screaming" fills outs its 10 minutes of bulk with a mix of iron-wrought chords, bass grooves and bluesy, airy leads that howl off into the steaming city pavement of an urban summer night.

Some might lean towards Heavy Metal Maniac for setting Exciter's stylistic standard, but this album just reeks of confidence and ass kicking. It's not perfect: not every individual guitar progression stands out as insanely memorable, nor do the lyrics often avoid the old cliches that so many bands fell into, almost repeating one another. But it's not like these three gentlemen ever set up to write a symphony, just drag their influences into a louder and bolder new era of leather, spikes and sweat, and Long Live the Loud is another admirable contender for the short list of top speed/heavy metal exertions of 1985. I think that in the long term it might have been dwarfed by Razor's twin accomplishments Evil Invaders and Executioner's Song, the latter of which I think has catchier songwriting than this, but like it's two predecessors, this deserves a spot in the collection of any discriminating denim diehard.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

'Long Live The Loud' often comes in for abuse, being thought of as a lesser album in comparison to their first two. Never understood that. The first two albums, especially 'Violence & Force', are significant works in the development of speed/thrash metal. But it always sounded to me like 'Long Live The Loud' was Exciter at their heaviest, tighest, and yes, loudest. The energy here is phenomenal, electricity coursing out of the speakers at breaking point, with the bass-heavy Guy Bidmead production giving the band a few extra balls they lacked before.

The entire first side sweeps up everything in its path (once dramatic opener "Fall Out" sets an apocalyptic tone). Tons of riffs, none of them overly complex, with John Ricci's scarred and frazzled guitar tone synching up with Allan Johnson's murderous bass momentum. (His playing is Lemmy times 10.) For a guy who could never sing very well, and will never be mistaken for a drum legend, Dan Beehler plays the fuck out of the drums on this album, shredding his vocal cords in a most convincing manner every single song. He's especially bloodthirsty in both departments on "Beyond The Gates Of Doom" and "Sudden Impact", begging another Motorhead comparison (Philthy Phil this time) in his raw, loose pacing and machine-gunning snare fills.

Side two offers a little more variety: "Sudden Impact" is their finest speed-metal workout, period; "Born To Die" settles things down to a mid-pace, highlighted by minimal riffing, compelling lyrics and an atmosphere of power and dread unlike anything they did before or since (my all-time favorite Exciter track actually); closer "Wake Up Screaming" is the album's epic...maybe not as convincing as other metal epics, or even other tracks on this album, but it still shows the band stretching out confidently into a new area. It brings the armaggedon-paranoia of "Born To Die" along with it, but also tells of a more personal hell.

Arguably Exciter were never quite a top-tier band, but their importance and influence is undeniable. 'Long Live the Loud' represents the most powerful Exciter kick-in-the-ass available, and stands up as one of 1985's many remarkable metal moments. Still sounds awesome in 2007 too.

It can be seen here that Exciter is kinda running out of ideas. The first few songs are absolutely great, but then the rest of the album turns somewhat boring, with the riffs just a bit repetitive.

First, "Fallout", which is just an intro... then "Long Live the Loud", which is one of the best songs Exciter has ever done. It just clicks - think "Freewheel Burning" for the most part, though not quite as melodic.

Then, "I Am the Beast" - which is even better!! These two songs here really define the album. Great speed metal. Next, "Victims of Sacrifice", which is a bit slower, but still pretty decent. Then there is the rest of the album, which really isn't all that memorable or distinctive. It's just kind of ... there. It's not bad per se, but after the third album of this, Exciter seems to have stretched creativity to the breaking point. "Sudden Impact" is pretty cool, but "Wake up Screaming" (the 'epic' number???) is just too long for its own good, though it does have its cool sections.

If you really fucking like speed metal (in other words, you're me), you will dig this album, as well as all other Exciter in general. Once you've heard one, you've pretty much heard 'em all. In this case, that's actually a good thing since the sound they have is pretty enjoyable. This is pretty much the textbook example.