Guest review of Fire & Damnation by Exumer written by guitarist Matt Lamb

Like to take this time to thank Matt Lamb for doing this review for me on short notice. Easter weekend kicked the shit out of me and he helped by getting a review for this album done. Matt has been in a few bands, Southern Krown being the last. He has a new band in the works and you should click here for a rough song!

1. Fire & Damnation

2. Vermin of the Sky

3. The Weakest Limb

4. A New Morality

5. Waking the Fire

6. Fallen Saint

7. Crushing Point

8. Devil Chaser

9. I Dare You

10. Tribal Furies

Exumer is an original thrash band from Germany responsible for some of Thrash metals biggest and most exotic fan bases. Fire & Damnation is their first album in 25 years following Rising Of The Sea and Possessed By Fire. Exumer has been unseen with exception to waken since 1990 until they reformed in 2008 to tour for the first time since 88 in 2009. The opening and title track Fire & Damnation, Opening with a thunderous tom driven groove with a grooving almost to date metal riff to match. The song then picks up to a more traditional thrash pace while still maintaining a more up to date sound such as "Lamb of God" or "Testament’s" more recent workings. Fallen Saint starts with a very traditional 80s thrash drum intro with a very old-school riff to match almost reminds me of Show No Mercy slayer days, this song also bares a very different vocal sound than the rest more of a deep aggressive attack , not sure if someone else is singing. I Dare You is easily my least favourite the droning bent note during the verse almost throws off how good SOME of the song is such as the opening riff. The lyrics are also very cheesy and lame. This song sets back from all the other tracks seemingly well thought out and put together, where this song makes them seem a lot more juvenile with the poor riffs and lyrics. The rest of the album sounds like a serious metal band where this more sounds more suited to your typical cheesy garage punk band. This definitely sounds like filler to me. The exiting track Tribal Furies, is one the heavier songs on the album with its pure power intro with the booming drum crashes and rolls complimenting the pure junkyard dog riff that appears many times in the song to kick serious amounts of ass.

The vocals overall have a very punky sound to them while holding hints of 80s thrash as well as some sounds of today. The major sell point of this album is the raw 80s thrash feel while being well produced and holding hints of more popular and more up to date metal sounds. If you are a fan of Exumer and/or are starving for the good old days of heavy thrash metal you definitely need to pick up this album ASAP because for a band that has been non existent for close to 25 years once hearing this it will feel as if they never left! They definitely were not playing around for this album has one gear and one gear only and that is pure kick your teeth in!