Richard HolmesExumer – The Raging Tides (Metal Blade)
Genre: Thrash Metal
German metallers Exumer may not have reached the same level as the teutonic thrash triumvirate of Kreator, Sodom and Destruction, but the veterans are still a class act – as The Raging Tides shows. Their late noughties reformation bore fruit with 2012’s Fire & Damnation and this effort builds on its predecessor, with Ran Mensh and Marc B peeling off serrated riffs by the dozen and vocalist Mem V. Stein spitting venom throughout.
And while Exumer may purvey a simpler brand of thrash than many of their peers, they hit home hard with tracks like Welcome to Hellfire and Dark Reflections, which boast hooks that will cut your ear drums to ribbons. Plus, they have a punky, youthful aggression to them which is a joy to behold – not bad for a band which started life in 1985.
Sure, there are some lacklustre moments (the mid-paced Shadow Walker is a little bit stodgy, for instance), yet they’re outnumbered by exhilarating, nuclear powered thrashers such as Sinister Souls, and this opus is just begging to be played live.
Raging? You bet it is.
RUSHONROCK RATED: 7.5/10 Tidal Wave