Exciter (band)
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Exciter is a Canadian
speed metal Speed metal is a subgenre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM) roots.K. Kahn-Harris, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'' (Berg Publishers, 2007), , p. 31. It is desc ...
band from
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
, formed in 1978. Named after a song by
Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...
, they are considered to be one of the first speed metal bands and cited as a seminal influence on the
thrash metal Thrash metal (or simply thrash) is an Extreme metal, extreme subgenre of heavy metal music characterized by its overall aggression and fast tempo.Kahn-Harris, Keith, ''Extreme Metal: Music and Culture on the Edge'', pp. 2–3, 9. Oxford: Berg, ...
genre. Despite many changes in personnel, as well as two break-ups (first in 1989 and again in 1993), Exciter has managed to keep a small but dedicated following over the years.


History

In 1978, the band Hell Razor formed in
Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...
,
Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
. It consisted of vocalist and drummer Dan Beehler, guitarist John Ricci, and bassist Allan James Johnson. In 1980, the band changed their name to Exciter and recorded a demo which they then sent to Mike Varney of
Shrapnel Records Shrapnel Records is an American record label group founded by record producer Mike Varney. The group principally uses the ''Shrapnel Records'' record label, a guitar-oriented label which features shred guitar, hard rock, metal and progressive ...
. Varney included one song from it, "World War III", on the compilation album ''US Metal Volume II'' in 1982. Shortly after that, the band was signed to Shrapnel. In 1983, they released their debut album, '' Heavy Metal Maniac''. Exciter signed a record deal with Jon Zazula's
Megaforce Records Megaforce Records is an American independent record label founded in 1982 by Jon Zazula and his wife Marsha Zazula to release the first works of Metallica, and devoted primarily to hard rock and heavy metal. It has offices in New York City (whe ...
the year after based on the promise of tour support and, in 1984, released their second album, '' Violence & Force''. After a few headlining dates with American thrash metal band
Anthrax Anthrax is an infection caused by the bacterium '' Bacillus anthracis'' or ''Bacillus cereus'' biovar ''anthracis''. Infection typically occurs by contact with the skin, inhalation, or intestinal absorption. Symptom onset occurs between one ...
, they embarked on their first U.S. tour with Danish heavy metal band Mercyful Fate opening for
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
. Exciter was forced to switch to a new label,
Music for Nations Music for Nations (MFN) is a British independent record label focusing mainly on rock and metal. Originally a subsidiary of Zomba Records, which was a division of BMG, the label was closed in 2004 and later revived in 2015 by Sony Music Ente ...
, when Megaforce sold its contract and travelled to London, England for a tour that was cancelled at the last minute and then again to record their third album, '' Long Live the Loud''. It was released in 1985 and produced by Motörhead producer Guy Bidmead. It contained a slightly more "mainstream" heavy metal sound than the pure speed/thrash metal of the first two albums. After its release, the band went on a European tour with German heavy metal band Accept. At the end of 1984, Exciter was the support band on one of the US legs of Motörhead's No Remorse Tour; the following year, they were the headliner in a tour with
Megadeth Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal—alo ...
and Exodus. Before the year ended, Exciter released the three-track EP, ''Feel the Knife'', which was the last release from the original line-up. Shortly after its release, John Ricci left the band and was replaced by Brian McPhee. Along with a new guitarist came a new, more melodic sound. The band's fourth album, '' Unveiling the Wicked'', was released in 1986 on the Music for Nations label. After its release, the band went out on a successful European tour with Motörhead and American
power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...
band Manowar. It was decided at this time that Dan Beehler (who had handled both drums and vocals since the band's inception) would not sing anymore. New vocalist Rob Malnati was hired, and made his debut on the band's self-titled album (a.k.a. ''O.T.T.''). The album was released in 1988 through the Canadian record label Maze Music. A Canadian tour followed, but by early 1989, the band had broken up. In 1991, Exciter re-emerged with Beehler on lead vocals again. John Ricci also returned to the band. Bass duties were handled by new bassist David Ledden. The band's first recording with this line-up was the song "Born to Kill" which appeared on a compilation album titled ''Capitol Punishment'', which was released in 1991. The same year, the band went on a reunion tour in Canada, which would largely be focused on songs from their first three albums. The band's first live album, ''Better Live than Dead'', which was released in 1993, had been recorded during their reunion tour at this time. In 1992, the band signed to German metal label Noise Records and recorded their sixth album, '' Kill After Kill''. The band went on a three-week European tour with Rage to support it. After the tour, the band disappeared for a second time. It would be three years before they would be heard from again. In March 1996, an almost completely new line-up was announced. Ricci was the only returning original member. Jacques Bélanger was the new vocalist and Rik Charron and Marc Charron (no relation) would handle drum and bass duties respectively. The new line-up played a few well-received gigs in Canada before recording a new album, ''The Dark Command''. The album was released in 1997. With one of their strongest albums in years, the band went out on a European tour with
Anvil An anvil is a metalworking tool consisting of a large block of metal (usually Forging, forged or Steel casting, cast steel), with a flattened top surface, upon which another object is struck (or "worked"). Anvils are massive because the hi ...
and
Flotsam and Jetsam In maritime law, flotsam'','' jetsam'','' lagan'','' and derelict are terms for various types of property lost or abandoned at sea. The words have specific nautical meanings, with legal consequences in the law of admiralty and marine salvage. A ...
. Between 1998 and 2000, the band was basically dormant with only two festival appearances in the two-year span. The summer of 2000 saw the release of the follow-up album to ''The Dark Command'', ''Blood of Tyrants''. The new album was heavier and more aggressive than its predecessor. In the fall of 2001, Bélanger left the band due to "creative differences". A year later Marc Charron quit, pursuing a career in the technology industry. At the beginning of 2003, a new line-up was announced, with Ricci and Rik Charron returning along with new vocalist Rob Degroot and new bassist Paul Champagne. This line-up only lasted until March 2003 when Degroot left. His replacement was former vocalist Jacques Bélanger. In 2004, Paul Champagne was released from the band. The band recorded their ninth studio album, ''New Testament'', with Ricci on both guitar and bass. ''New Testament'' is somewhat of a compilation album of re-recorded classics from throughout the band's entire career. Later that year, bassist Rob "Clammy" Cohen joined the ranks. The year ended with the band heading out on a European tour with Swedish power metal band Steel Attack. Exciter participated in a number of European summer festivals in 2005, including the Tradate Iron Fest in Italy, Bang Your Head in Germany and Metalcamp in Slovenia. Annihilator founder Jeff Waters was able to get the rights back to most of Exciter's catalogue titles from the old labels and get them a new deal to re-release these titles. As well, Waters remastered these titles and new booklet info, including comments from the original 3 band members, as well as additional photos were added to the re-releases. In 2006, Exciter played Keep It True VI in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany. Shortly thereafter, Bélanger left once again. An official statement from the band stated that "Due to 'differences of opinion' on many issues between Jacques and the rest of the band, he felt he could no longer continue as vocalist for Exciter." This lead them to regrettably cancel upcoming shows in Europe, the US and Canada that they had been working on for the summer. He was quickly replaced in October of that year by Kenny "Metal Mouth" Winter from New York. The band played only one headlining show in Toronto, Canada in August 2007, thanks to an intense rehearsal and recording schedule involving a weekly 23-hour trek from New York City to Ottawa by Kenny Winter. Twice delayed in December 2007 and January 2008, the band's tenth album '' Thrash Speed Burn'' was released in February 2008 in Europe and in March 2008 worldwide. It has since garnered positive reviews from many a European fanzine. The band's first European show for the tour, with the then-current line-up, saw their debut at the Atarfe Vega Rock Festival in
Granada Granada ( ; ) is the capital city of the province of Granada, in the autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada (Spain), Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence ...
, Spain. Coincidentally, it also marked Exciter's first-ever appearance on the
Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula ( ), also known as Iberia, is a peninsula in south-western Europe. Mostly separated from the rest of the European landmass by the Pyrenees, it includes the territories of peninsular Spain and Continental Portugal, comprisin ...
. In February 2014, it was announced on the band's official Facebook fan page that guitarist John Ricci had decided to leave the band, departing Exciter and leaving the band with no original members. In April 2014, Ricci began claiming that the retirement statement was false, however the former band members maintain that at the time of the press release, the information it contained was accurate. The original Exciter line-up reunited shortly after, playing their first European show on April 25, 2015, at Keep It True Festival and then in March 2015 at the Defenders of the Old Festival in New York. A reunion album was planned for 2019, but remained in question after the departure of John Ricci. In October 2018, Daniel Dekay was announced as the replacement for John Ricci. The band also has a new album in the works.


Influences

Exciter's musical influences include
AC/DC AC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973. Their music has been variously described as hard rock, blues rock and Heavy metal music, heavy metal, although the band calls it simply "rock and roll". They are cited as a formativ ...
,
Black Sabbath Black Sabbath are an English rock band formed in Birmingham in 1968 by guitarist Tony Iommi, drummer Bill Ward (musician), Bill Ward, bassist Geezer Butler, and vocalist Ozzy Osbourne. After adopting the Black Sabbath name in 1969 (the band ...
,
Deep Purple Deep Purple are an English rock band formed in London in 1968. They are considered to be among the pioneers of heavy metal music, heavy metal and modern hard rock, although their musical style has varied throughout their career. Originally for ...
,
Grand Funk Railroad Grand Funk Railroad (often shortened to Grand Funk) is an American rock band formed in Flint, Michigan, in 1969 by Mark Farner (vocals, guitar, keyboards, harmonica), Don Brewer (drums, vocals) and Mel Schacher (bass). The band achieved pea ...
,
Iron Maiden Iron Maiden are an English Heavy metal music, heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris (musician), Steve Harris. Although fluid in the early years of the band, the line-up for most ...
, Jethro Tull,
Judas Priest Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Judas Priest have also been referred to as one of the p ...
,
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
, Rush and
Scorpions Scorpions are predatory arachnids of the Order (biology), order Scorpiones. They have eight legs and are easily recognized by a pair of Chela (organ), grasping pincers and a narrow, segmented tail, often carried in a characteristic forward cur ...
.


Band members


Current

*Dan Beehler – vocals, drums *Allan James Johnson – bass *Daniel Dekay – guitars


Former

*John Ricci – guitars *Brian McPhee – guitars *Rob Malnati – vocals *David Ledden – bass *Jeff MacDonald – bass *Marc Charron – bass *Jacques Belanger – vocals *Richard "Rik" Charron – drums *Robert William DeGroot – vocals *Paul Champagne – bass *Robert "Clammy" Cohen – bass *Kenny "Metal Mouth" Winter – vocals


Timeline


Discography


Studio albums

*'' Heavy Metal Maniac'' (1983) *'' Violence & Force'' (1984) *'' Long Live the Loud'' (1985) *'' Unveiling the Wicked'' (1986) *'' Exciter / O.T.T.'' (1988) *'' Kill After Kill'' (1992) *''The Dark Command'' (1997) *''Blood of Tyrants'' (2000) *''New Testament'' (2004) *'' Thrash Speed Burn'' (2008) *''Death Machine'' (2010)


Live albums

*''Better Live Than Dead'' (1993)


Compilation albums

*''Capital Punishment'' (1991)


EPs

*''Feel the Knife'' (1985)


Demo

*''World War III'' (1982)


References


External links

* * *
Entry at canadianbands.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:Exciter Canadian heavy metal musical groups Canadian musical quartets Canadian speed metal musical groups Massacre Records artists Megaforce Records artists Musical groups from Ottawa Musical groups established in 1978 Musical groups disestablished in 1989 Musical groups reestablished in 1991 Musical groups disestablished in 1993 Musical groups reestablished in 1996 1978 establishments in Ontario Shrapnel Records artists Music for Nations artists Noise Records artists