Fire & Damnation

I am sorry, but I must start with a critical remark. "Fire & Damnation" contains roughly 25 minutes new music. This result falls short of expectations. After more than two decades of unproductiveness, I hoped that Exumer would release an ambitious monster that impresses with quality and quantity at the same time. Instead, they offer two re-recordings. I do not understand this procedure. But these are probably just the thoughts of a simpleton, forgive me. However, according to the precept "quality over quantity", Exumer have penned highly exciting tracks. Therefore, let's listen closely to the long overdue continuation of their first albums.

Without any kind of intro, the title track opens the comeback work and makes immediately clear that Mem von Stein, Ray Mensh and their new sidekicks - one of them died in 2014, R.I.P. - have captured the true spirit of thrash metal again. The incredible riffing leaves deep cuts and the band gives the listener no possibility to regenerate. Exumer act with the precision of a Swiss clockwork. Their riffs have an emotionless and almost mechanized aura. This does not imply that the songs fail to evoke emotions. Exumer just throw the audience into a cold and unpitying world. Consequently, their way of proceeding gives rise to a feeling of uncertainty and discomfort - and thrash metal was always meant to be dangerous, in any way whatsoever. The atmosphere of the album is roughly comparable with that of some Grip Inc. tracks. With regard to the fact that the full-length was produced by Waldemar Sorychta, this association is no accident. And it goes without saying that Sorychta has forged another perfect sound.

One might say that the strict application of the usual criteria would result in an ambivalent assessment of the album, because it lacks of variety. But I do not share this point of view. The band is back and it has no alternative but to build a bridge between its past and the present. I am not saying that they have to play pristine thrash metal as long as they use the name Exumer. But a comeback album is always confronted with clearly defined expectations of some old fellows with a good memory. Fortunately, "Fire & Damnation" meets the needs of the fans in a credible manner. Exumer perform passionately and their infectious approach invites the listener to bang his head without restriction of any kind.

It does not make much sense to philosophise about the highlights. Every thrash metal maniac must be at least familiar with the first four tracks, or his more or less miserable project called "life" will remain unfinished. I would go even further. Those of you who like razor-sharp riffs, fast-paced rhythms, matured lead vocals and comprehensible song patterns, have to know the entire album. Especially the maniacs, that prefer US-American thrash like early Exodus, Vio-lence or early Forbidden, should take this message to heart. Exumer do not have this typical Teutonic aura with the effect that they are not easily comparable with other German bands such as Sodom or Iron Angel. The revitalized five-piece is one of these bands that work with extremely sharp knives and its mercilessness can not be questioned. To cut a long story short, Exumer's first album after their return is definitely worth listening to. Stand up and put it to the test.

The long-awaited new release from old-school German thrashers Exumer is a fun, furious ride of traditional Thrash Metal that really captures that intense feeling and vibe from the opening riff to the last note, and as such turns out to be one of the more enjoyable listens in the genre.

Starting off with the rip-roaring opening title track, the most immediate impression made is that of a band that has no intention of sticking around long, getting right in and inflicting damage then moving on to the next target. These songs are mostly short, sharp speed-laden bursts of traditional thrash that owes a lot more to the American scene than the German groups they started around, and the aforementioned title track is the biggest example of that. Second track, and album highlight ‘Vermin of the Sky’ is another fantastic example, blessed with a terrific riff that makes for a memorable track amidst a sea of similarly-memorable songs. Another potential album highlight, ‘The Weakest Limb’ is even more impressive with its extended soloing work and more mid-tempo pace towards the later half, making full use of its bloated (in terms of the song lengths on the album) to full effect. ‘Waking the Fire’ is another memorable effort, moving between full-fledged fury and that bout of controlled chaos that runs rampant through the rest of the album.

The fact that there’s two re-recorded songs, ‘Fallen Saint’ from the debut and ‘I Dare You’ from the sophomore release, here amongst the new material is certainly a welcome addition, sounding as though they were originally intended for the album with their speed, ferocity and biting chops, allowing them to both stand-out on the album. Despite the length, the shortest track, ‘Devil Chaser’ is another really strong offering, tending to make for a total razing track thanks to incendiary guitar-work, hyper-speed double-bass drumming and the trademark gang-shouts on the chorus that makes for another good song.

There’s a few things that needs to work on, most notably the fact that there’s the feeling of this being way too short for its own good. While the attack of getting in, destroying all who move and getting out before detection usually make for memorable times, here the short song lengths can make the opposite impression. None of the songs are over four minutes in length, and with only two over three-and-a-half minutes, it sometimes gets the feeling that the songs are being cut off from really extending themselves to make for a more enjoyable experience. The ending of ‘A New Mortality’ is the perfect example here, sounding as if the band reached the three-minute length and just cut it off in a bizarre way because the rest of the songs had been that long. While this is rectified on the deluxe edition with several bonus live tracks, that still leaves for the feeling of a short-changed experience which is purely coincidental and mildly detracts from a solid offering overall.

Exumer has finally exhumed themselves from the dead. The German cult thrash band had left a pair of beloved albums behind them in the 80's, and most thought that would be it for good. But now in the waking resurgence of thrash metal, or even metal in general, Exumer have finally decided to get their asses back into the studio to unleash a long-awaited third full-length on unsuspecting mortal masses. How does "Fire & Damnation" stack up Well, if you like the same song repeated 10 times over, you might dig this album.

The band falls on a number of pitfalls I think too many bands these days depend on, namely shit like an over-dependance on drum kicks or lazy speed picking, etc. At the very least the Metal Blade-funded production is good; loud, very crunchy and definitely heavy as hell. So at the very least the songs sound good.

Original vocalist Mem Von Stein makes a triumphant return, and is probably the best asset of this newish Exumer. He still has those solid, semi-clean Teutonic shouts 'n' shrieks in full order. Original guitarist Ray Mensh teams up with a new guy simply named HK. Mensh clearly does most of the work here, as HK basically speed picks the rhythm while Mensh comes up with some juicier solos and riffs. The bass of Tony Schiavo pops up to say hi now and again, while the boring drumming of Matthias Kassner pales when compared to the technicality and aggression of Syke Bornetto.

The album begins and ends with the stronger songs: the title track, "Vermin Of The Sky" and "Tribal Furies". The title track blazes with hooky riffs and a neat little solo, while the super-catchy "Vermin" comes packed with a memorable chorus riff. The speeder "Tribal Furies" hits hard with some more okay riffs and a hooky chorus. The rest of the songs basically do the same damn thing, but to an extent with far less impact. They all come packed with aggression, hooks, riffage and melody, and never once hitting the 4 minute mark. But they all sound indistinguishable partly because of these factors, thereby just leaving little, if no mark on the listener. Then we have the completely unnecessary reduxs of "Fallen Saint" and "Rising From The Sea" cut "I Dare You". The one of "Fallen" blows, totally lacking the piss and vinegar catchiness of the original; instead it comes off rushed and artificial. "I Dare You" fares better, the modern production helping the sound of the song. Doesn't stop the fact that "I Dare You"'s lyrics still suck.

Overall, "Fire & Damnation" isn't bad per say, but seriously flawed. Far, far too many of the tracks just blend together and some modern pitfalls plague the band's performance. I lightly recommend it, but do yourself a favor and download a few songs I mentioned instead of wasting your time with the whole album.

Exumer, like many of its cohorts, returned after twenty-five big ones of inactivity with "Fire & Damnation," the band's first full-length album since 1987, which is quite the gap if I may say so. Many of the group's fellow countrymen who were once presumed permanently deceased (Necronomicon, Assassin, etc.) thought it wise to punch through the coffins and crypts which held these underground thrash warriors and execute the testament of thrash once again; Exumer was up and about in 2001, but "Fire & Damnation" did not see a release until eleven years after their initial reunion. I was never that guy drooling over Exumer, but "Fire & Damnation" isn't half-bad overall. In all honestly, it's about as good as any thrash offering from a long-dormant squad returning after many moons of inactivity can be, with hints of modern stuff from the later outputs of Exodus or the typical aged thrash veteran.

Now, the record itself lasts just a whisker above the thirty-three minute mark and features ten anthems. Eight of these nuggets are completely new, and the general style and aged themes of the young ones definitely strikes true; lots of influence and similarities from many modern thrash works, no doubt in league with Exodus et al. of this thrash resurrection. The riffs are vicious and frantic, the solos spastic and twitching, the pace diabolical at its fastest and devastating when yielding monstrous grooves. Out of the newbies, the title track and "Vermin of the Sky" are probably the best as they accurately represent everything "Fire & Damnation" attempts to be without introducing an ounce of mediocrity some of the closing numbers have. You can plausibly understand how this sounds without hearing it, actually.

Exumer rides on the same wavelength throughout the album, and it's clear they weren't out to reinvent how the world saw thrash or even themselves. The rerecorded tunes are a mixed bag, with “Fallen Saint” taking the cake (which I’ll get to shortly) and “I Dare You” slumping miserably. “I Dare You” just isn’t enjoyable; the lyrics are embarrassingly stupid and it’s quite the juvenile cut, definitely not one worthy of its immaturity. Now that I’m whining, I find Von Stein's voice to be really underwhelming and vapid here. His tactics are cheesy and way too one-dimensional for what Exumer is trying to portray, and he sounds utterly ridiculous spitting out the lyrical drivel of "I Dare You," which is easily the weakest song. A rerecording? Yea, but it totally fails and they should've let it rest in pieces.

I will be a stickler here and say that my favorite song is the rerecording of "Fallen Saint," featuring Paul Arakari on vocals, because it has a bigger crisp to it than the other anthems...and Arakari's voice works way better than Von Stein's. He has that rough edge of ravenous madness and aggression in that shout of his, almost like he's trying to eradicate a nest of vipers in his throat. Regardless, having a familiar friend on "Fire & Damnation" freshens the atmosphere a bit. With just one truly horrible song and few that fall beneath mediocrity, "Fire & Damnation" comes as a surprise to some. Not really original or pushing the boundaries of Exumer's legacy, but still enjoyable stuff in the grand scheme of the group's rejuvenation and the remaining outputs conceived by their metallic kinship.

This review was written for: www.Thrashpit.com

Since everyone and their grandma's dog are reigniting the flames of their old bands it shouldn't come as much surprise that German thrashers Exumer are back with a brand spanking new album. Exumer are one of those thrash bands from the 80's that never quite took off like they maybe should have, although the band definitely have a cult following, and most serious thrashers will have at least heard their lauded debut album.

I was never completely sold on Exumer, and whilst I won't deny that they are good, I didn't like them as much as others. Here on Fire & Damnation they pick up from where they left off in terms of quality, although the sound is a lot more modern. Think along the lines of modern day Testament and Exodus and you will have a good idea of how Exumer sound. The material here is without a doubt good, but I think it remains at that point. There isn't much on offer to see the band rise up and above their competition, but in saying that I would rather listen to this than a good handful of the newer thrash bands.

Just over half an hour and ten tracks is the score, and all these tracks are raging bouts of thrash metal. This is aggressive, and the production has that modern gloss which should increase the appeal to more casual metal fans. The performances are good, and the lead playing is particularly good fun. Little more need be said here, fans of modern Exodus will definitely want to grab a copy of this, and those who particularly enjoy the modern side of the thrash spectrum will want this too. A good release, but hardly spectacular.

Originally written for http://www.metalcrypt.com

The reunion albums of the lower tier Teutonic thrash acts have been a mixed bag at best, with Necronomicon, Vendetta and Accuser churning out more or less average works that placed the respective bands into a modern context without really capturing the excitement and edginess of their earlier efforts; and a handful of others like the obscure Wicca making a pretty decent account of themselves. Cult heroes Exumer took their sweet time in joining these ranks, having decided to continue the band in 2001 after over a decade of absence, but at long last their third outing Fire & Damnation has arrived, and through Metal Blade Records, making this one of the higher profile releases of its type. Obviously the band's much loved underground status played its hand in this signing, but I was actually hoping it was because they heard the record and thought it was a serious ass kicking.

Now, I've never been the hugest fan of Exumer to begin with. The debut Possessed by Fire was good for its day, though vastly overshadowed by the Metallica and Slayer masterworks that came out in '86, not to mention the other German efforts like Obsessed by Cruelty, Eternal Devastation or the amazing Pleasure to Kill. As for its follow-up, Rising from the Sea, I don't have much to say other than it felt like a sinking ship, derivative and uninteresting with riffs that into which almost as much effort was placed as in smoking a cigarette. The tracks I heard from the band's 2009 demo Waking the Fire seemed like at least an improvement from that album, if nothing standout or particularly exciting, and that about sum up Fire & Damnation. Don't get me wrong, this is hands down superior to anything the band has come up with in 26 years. A tight and admittedly energetic spectacle of pure thrash metal, with no bullshit 90s groove influences that have plagued some of their peers. They've even got the original bassist/vocalist Mem von Stein back, along with guitarist Ray Mensh. But I still felt a little underwhelmed...

Like a lot of comeback or reunion efforts, this album just seems more intent on resting on the laurels of its genre rather than continuing to hike forward. As if Exumer were just excited to write the same old riffs again under the relish of modern production standards and not attempt to draft up some magnum opus of memorable songwriting. Most of the guitar progressions here sound like a pretty average mesh of those Sodom, Kreator and Slayer have been scribing in the past decade, clearly hook oriented but lacking much staying power. I do like von Stein's vocal bite, especially where he manifests a more vicious and incendiary presence, but I've never found him to possess that same level of ruthless expression that characterized his better known countrymen Schmier, Angelripper or Petrozza. The leads here are blistering but unmemorable, the rhythm guitars solid as they rifle through various breakdown grooves, faster paced Slayer meets Artillery propulsion with tremolo ("Vermin of the Sky") or mid-gait Exodus moshing ("Fallen Saint"), but few of the riffs feel essential.

That said, the production on Fire & Damnation is pretty well handled. The guitars potent but never overbearing, the rhythm section tighter than a chastity belt. Exumer never try to sell themselves as a 'thrash' band with the needless, stupid lyrics and song titles that a lot of the annoying nostalgia punks use these days, and there is no question that they've got a mature outlook on the music of their own youths. Nowhere is this album insulting, trite or trendy, and the newer members fit in seamlessly with the veterans. The one thing that really held back my enthusiasm and enjoyment here was just the sense that I've just heard it all before and better, even from this very same band (on their debut). So, while it edges out some of the more recent fare from the groups I listed in my opening statement, and it's competent on most levels, Fire & Damnation just doesn't jab out with those barbed hooks and chorus sequences that defined the best of the thrash songs in the 80s (or any period). It's alright, just not exceptional.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com