Exciter (band)
Encyclopedia
Exciter is a Canadian speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....

 band from Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

. They are widely considered to be one of the first speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....

 bands and a seminal influence of the thrash metal genre. Exciter have sold nearly 2.3 million units in the USA and a total sells at 10 million units worldwide. Despite many changes in personnel, the band has managed to keep a small but dedicated following for more than 25 years.

History

In 1978, the band Hell Razor formed in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. They consisted of vocalist and drummer Dan Beehler
Dan Beehler
Dan Beehler was the original drummer and lead vocalist for Canadian metal band Exciter, from its inception in 1978 as Hell Razor to 1993. However, he did not do vocals on the Exciter O.T.T. album, but he did continue to play drums until the band split after the release of Better Live Than Dead in...

, 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
Mike Varney
Mike Varney is an American musician, record producer, music publisher and impresario. He is the founder of the Shrapnel Label Group, which includes Shrapnel Records, Tone Center Records and Blues Bureau International. He also has a 50% stake in Magna Carta Records, a New York-based label...

 of Shrapnel Records
Shrapnel Records
Shrapnel Records is a guitar-oriented record label started in 1980 by record producer Mike Varney. Guitarist Marty Friedman , one of the label's most successful artists, first appeared on the album Unsung Guitar Heroes II in 1980 with the band Vixen. Vixen would later change their name to Hawaii...

. Varney included one song from it, "World War III", on the compilation album US Metal Volume II in 1982. Shortly after that, the band were signed to Shrapnel Records. In 1983, they released their debut album, Heavy Metal Maniac
Heavy Metal Maniac
Heavy Metal Maniac is the first studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Shrapnel Records in 1983. The album was reissued by Megaforce Records in 2005.-Track listing:...

.

Later that year, Exciter signed a record deal with Jon Zazula's Megaforce Records
Megaforce Records
Megaforce Records is an American independent record label which was founded in 1982 by Jon and Marsha Zazula to publish the first works of Metallica. It has offices in New York and Philadelphia. The label is distributed in the U.S. by Sony Music Entertainment/RED Distribution...

 and, in 1984, they released their second studio album, Violence & Force
Violence & Force
Violence & Force is the second studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Megaforce Records in 1984. The album was produced by The Rods drummer Carl Canedy, who had already produced Anthrax debut album Fistful of Metal....

. After a few opening dates with fellow American thrash metal band Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...

, they embarked on their first U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 tour with Danish
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate
Mercyful Fate was a Danish heavy metal band from Copenhagen. Initially active from 1981 to 1985, they reunited in 1992. The band went on hiatus again in 2000, when frontman King Diamond decided to continue his solo career...

. Exciter switched to a new label, Music For Nations
Music For Nations
Music For Nations was a British independent record label focusing mainly on rock and metal. They were a subsidiary of the larger label distributor Zomba Records who in turn is owned by BMG....

, and traveled to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

 to record their third album, Long Live the Loud
Long Live the Loud
Long Live the Loud is the third studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Music for Nations in 1985 and re-released through Megaforce Records in March 2005 with the EP Feel the Knife.-Track listing:...

. 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 Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

an tour with German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...

 band Accept
Accept
Accept is a German heavy metal band from the town of Solingen, originally assembled by former vocalist Udo Dirkschneider, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann and bassist Peter Baltes. Their beginnings can be traced back to the late 1960s...

 and later a U.S. tour with Motörhead and Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...

. 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
Unveiling the Wicked
Unveiling the Wicked is the fourth studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Music for Nations in 1986 and reissued through Megaforce Records in 2005.-Track listing:All songs by Beehler, Johnson & McPhee...

, was released in 1986 on the Music For Nations label. After its release, the band went out on a very successful European tour with Motörhead and American power metal
Power metal
Power metal is a style of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional metal with speed metal, often within symphonic context. The term refers to two different but related styles: the first pioneered and largely practiced in North America with a harder sound similar to speed metal, and a...

 band Manowar
Manowar (band)
Manowar is an American heavy metal band from Auburn, New York. Formed in 1980 the group is known for its lyrics based on fantasy and mythological topics along with their "loud and bombastic" sound...

. 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 next album, self-titled
Exciter (O.T.T.)
Exciter is the fifth studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through the Canadian label Maze Music in 1988. The album was re-released in 1995 Magnetic Air Records and again by Megaforce Records in 2005 with the title O.T.T., which stands for Over the Top...

 (a.k.a. O.T.T.). The album was released in 1988 through the Canadian record label Maze Music. A Canadian tour followed but the band went on hiatus shortly after.

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
Noise Records (Germany)
Noise Records was a German record label founded by German music industry personality Karl-Ulrich Walterbach in 1983 as an expansion of his company Modern Music Records. Noise Records specialized in thrash and melodic speed metal. It was sold to the Sanctuary Records Group in 2001 and ceased any...

 and recorded their sixth album, Kill after Kill. The band went on a three-week European tour with Rage
Rage (band)
Rage are a German heavy metal band, formed in 1984. They were part of the German heavy/speed/power metal scene to emerge in the early to mid 1980s, along with bands such as Helloween, Running Wild and Blind Guardian.-Background:...

 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 Rick Charron and Marc Charron (both have no relation to each other) 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 fellow Canadian heavy metal band Anvil
Anvil (band)
Anvil is a Canadian heavy metal band comprising Steve "Lips" Kudlow , Robb Reiner , and Glenn Five...

 and American thrash metal band Flotsam and Jetsam
Flotsam and Jetsam (band)
Flotsam and Jetsam is a thrash metal band that formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1982.-1981-1986: The beginning:The band's original name was "Paradox" founded by Drummer Kelly David-Smith and two other guitarists, until 1982 when bassist Jason Newsted joined. Jason had come to Phoenix with his band...

.

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 to pursue a career in the technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...

 industry.

At the beginning of 2003, a new line-up was announced, with Ricci and Rick 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
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....

 power metal band Steel Attack
Steel Attack
-Biography:Stefan Westerberg and Dennis Vestman formed Mayer's Eve in 1995. The band changed their name to Steel Attack in 1997 due to many coming and going members....

.

Exciter participated in a number of European summer festivals in 2005, including the Tradate Iron Fest in Tradate
Tradate
Tradate is a city and comune located in the province of Varese, in the Lombardy region of northern Italy. It is located 15 km from the city of Varese , and according to the 2004 census Tradate's population was 16,259. It received the honorary title of city with a presidential decree on...

, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

, Bang Your Head!!! in Balingen
Balingen
Balingen is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, capital of the district of Zollernalbkreis. It is located nearby the Swabian Alb, approx. 35 km to the south of Tübingen, 35 km northeast of Villingen-Schwenningen, and 60 km southwest of Stuttgart.It is home to the Bizerba and Ideal...

, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 and Metalcamp
Metalcamp
Metalcamp is a heavy metal music festival held annually in Slovenia since 2004.-2004:Danzig, Apocalyptica, Hypocrisy, Sentenced, Primal Fear, Katatonia, Dew-Scented, Dead Soul Tribe, Fleshcrawl, Mnemic, Prospect, Belphegor, Ancient, Destruction, Brainstorm, Dark Funeral, Vintersorg, Finntroll,...

 in Tolmin
Tolmin
Tolmin is a small town and municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia.-Geography:Tolmin, the old town that gave the name to the entire area , is the largest settlement in the Upper Soča Valley , as well as its economic, cultural and administrative centre. It is located on a terrace above the...

, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...

.

In 2006, Exciter played Keep It True VI in Lauda-Königshofen, Germany. Shortly thereafter, Bélanger left again due to irreconcilable differences. He was quickly replaced in October that year by Kenny "Metal Mouth" Winter, from Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...

, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

.

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 NYC to Ottawa by Kenny Winter.

Twice delayed in December 2007 and January 2008, the band's tenth album Thrash Speed Burn was released on February 22, 2008 in Europe, and on March 4, 2008 worldwide. It has since garnered positive reviews from many a European fanzine.

The band's first European show for the tour, with the current line-up, saw their debut at the Atarfe Vega Rock Festival in Granada
Granada
Granada is a city and the capital of the province of Granada, in the autonomous community of Andalusia, Spain. Granada is located at the foot of the Sierra Nevada mountains, at the confluence of three rivers, the Beiro, the Darro and the Genil. It sits at an elevation of 738 metres above sea...

, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

. Coincidentally, it also marked Exciter's first ever appearance on the Iberian Peninsula
Iberian Peninsula
The Iberian Peninsula , sometimes called Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe and includes the modern-day sovereign states of Spain, Portugal and Andorra, as well as the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar...

.

Current line up

  • Kenny "Metal Mouth" Winter - vocals
    Singing
    Singing is the act of producing musical sounds with the voice, and augments regular speech by the use of both tonality and rhythm. One who sings is called a singer or vocalist. Singers perform music known as songs that can be sung either with or without accompaniment by musical instruments...

     (2006-)
  • John Ricci - guitars (1978–1985, 1992-)
  • Robert "Clammy" Cohen - bass
    Bass guitar
    The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....

     (2004-)
  • Richard "Rik" Charron - drums
    Drum kit
    A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....

     (1996-)

Former members

  • Dan Beehler
    Dan Beehler
    Dan Beehler was the original drummer and lead vocalist for Canadian metal band Exciter, from its inception in 1978 as Hell Razor to 1993. However, he did not do vocals on the Exciter O.T.T. album, but he did continue to play drums until the band split after the release of Better Live Than Dead in...

     - drums, vocals (1978–1993)
  • Rob Malnati - vocals (1988)
  • Brian McPhee - guitars (1986–1988)
  • Allan James Johnson - bass (1978–1988)
  • David Ledden - bass (1992)
  • Jeff McDonald - bass (1993)
  • Marc Charron - bass (1996–2002)
  • Jacques Belanger - vocals (1996–2001, 2003–2006)
  • Rob DeGroot - Vocals (2003)
  • Paul Champagne - Bass (2003)

Studio albums

  • Heavy Metal Maniac
    Heavy Metal Maniac
    Heavy Metal Maniac is the first studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Shrapnel Records in 1983. The album was reissued by Megaforce Records in 2005.-Track listing:...

    (1983)
  • Violence & Force
    Violence & Force
    Violence & Force is the second studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Megaforce Records in 1984. The album was produced by The Rods drummer Carl Canedy, who had already produced Anthrax debut album Fistful of Metal....

    (1984)
  • Long Live the Loud
    Long Live the Loud
    Long Live the Loud is the third studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Music for Nations in 1985 and re-released through Megaforce Records in March 2005 with the EP Feel the Knife.-Track listing:...

    (1985)
  • Unveiling the Wicked
    Unveiling the Wicked
    Unveiling the Wicked is the fourth studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through Music for Nations in 1986 and reissued through Megaforce Records in 2005.-Track listing:All songs by Beehler, Johnson & McPhee...

    (1986)
  • Exciter (O.T.T.)
    Exciter (O.T.T.)
    Exciter is the fifth studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released through the Canadian label Maze Music in 1988. The album was re-released in 1995 Magnetic Air Records and again by Megaforce Records in 2005 with the title O.T.T., which stands for Over the Top...

    (1988)
  • Kill after Kill
    Kill after Kill
    Kill After Kill is the sixth studio album by the Canadian speed metal band Exciter, released in 1992.-Track listing:All songs by John Ricci and Dan Beehler# "Rain of Terror" - 5:04# "No Life No Future" - 3:53# "Cold Blooded Murder" - 3:55...

    (1992)
  • The Dark Command (1997)
  • Blood of Tyrants (2000)
  • New Testament (2004) (rerecordings of previous Exciter songs)
  • Thrash Speed Burn (2008)
  • Death Machine (2010)

External links

  • http://www.myspace.com/exciterofficialOfficial Myspace
    Myspace
    Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....

     page]
  • [ Artist page at] Allmusic
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