In 1978 the band Hell Razor formed in Ottawa ON,Canada. The band consisted of John Ricci (guitars), Dan Beehler (drums) and Allan James Johnson (bass). In 1980 they changed their name to Exciter and recorded a demo which they then sent to Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records. Varney included one song from it, "World War III", on the compilation album US Metal Volume II in 1982. Shortly after that Exciter were signed to Shrapel Records. In 1983 they released their debut album, Heavy Metal Maniac.
Later that year Exciter signed a record-deal with Jon Zazula's Megaforce Records and 1984 they released their second album, Violence & Force. After a few opening dates with Anthrax They embarked on their first U.S. tour with Mercyful Fate. Exciter switched to a new label, Music For Nations and travelled to London to record their third album (produced by Motörhead producer Guy Bidhead). The album would be titled Long Live the Loud. It was a slightly more 'mainstream' heavy metal sound than the speed/thrash metal of the first two albums. After its release the band went on an European tour with Accept and later a U.S. tour with Motörhead and Megadeth. Before the year ended they released the 3-track EP [[Feel the Knife, which was the last release from the original line-up. Shortly after its release, John Ricci quit the band and was replaced by Brian McPhee.
Along with a new guitarist came a new, more melodic sound. The next album, Unveiling the Wicked, 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 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. A new vocalist was found in Rob Malnati who made his debut on the 1988 album Exciter(O.T.T.). The album was released on the Canadian record label Maze Music. With Exciter(O.T.T.) the band pushed the melodic sound even further. A Canadian tour followed but after that the band went on hiatus.
In 1991 the band re-emerged with Dan Beehler on drums and also lead vocals again. Original guitarist John Ricci also returned to the fold. Bass duties were handled by David Ledden. Their first recording was the song "Born to Kill" which appeared on a compilation album titled "Capitol Punishment" released in 1991.
In 1992 the band signed with German metal label Noise Records and recorded their sixth album entitled Kill after Kill. The band went on a three week European tour with Rage. In 1993 they released their first live album, Better Live than Dead, which had been recorded during their 1991 Canadian tour. The album consisted of songs taken from the first three albums. After this release the band disappeared for a second time. It would be three years before they would be heard from again.
In March of 1996 an almost completely new line-up was announced. Guitarist, John Ricci, was the only returning original member. Jacques Bélanger was the new vocalist and Rick Charron and Marc Charron (no relation) would handle drum and bass duties. The new line-up played a few well received shows in Canada before recording a new album entitled The Dark Command. This album was released in 1997. With one of their strongest albums in years, the band went out on a European tour with Anvil and Flotsam and Jetsam.
Between 1998 and 2000 the band was basically dormant with only two festival appearances in the 2 year span. The summer of 2000 saw the release of the follow-up to The Dark Command entitled Blood Of Tyrants. The new album was heavier and more aggressive than its predecessor. In the fall of 2001 Jacques left the band due to "creative differences". A year later Marc quit to pursue a career in the technology industry.
At the beginning of 2003 a new line-up was announced, with John and Rick returning along with vocalist Rob Degroot and bassist Paul Champagne. This line-up only lasted until March of 2003 when Rob Degroot was let go. His replacement was former vocalist Jacques Bélanger. In 2004 Paul Champagne was released from the band. The band recorded New Testament with John on both guitar and bass. New Testament would be a "best of" album of re-recorded classics from throughout the band's entire career. Later that year, bassist Rob "Clammy" Cohen would join the ranks. The year 2004 would end with the band heading out on a European tour with Steel Attack.
Jacques Belanger left again in 2006.
Mistress of Evil
Exciter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're a victim – her prey
She's got a deal with the devil
to sacrifice the lives that live forever
Searchin for a virgin
blood thirsty lust takes over control
Terror, you yearn to flee
from the grip of her tyranny
We touched the sky
We never lived to wonder why
She came from hell to burn the sky
She came from hell to see us die - ya die
Mistress of evil
Mistress of evil
She's comin to take you away
Her shadow surrounds you
as you fall into her venomous clutch
Chained up in darkness you never thought
of death could hurt this much
Her feel and fiery breath,
her blackness brings at last your final day
Four shoots from her fingers,
there in a pool of blood you lay
And there she stands in her skeletal shape
She cannot win what she cannot take
But she took your soul against your will
And she'll be back again to kill !!
The song "Mistress of Evil" by heavy metal band Exciter is a powerful representation of the violence and fear associated with female power. The song's lyrics paint a picture of a killer, a mistress of evil, who preys on helpless victims. She is shown striking a deal with the devil to gain power and sacrificing lives to maintain it. Her search for a virgin is the manifestation of her blood thirst which takes over her control. The lyrics convey a sense of terror and the urge to flee from her tyranny. Throughout the song, the singer presents an unrelenting disgust and fear towards the "Mistress of Evil."
The second half of the song paints an even darker picture of the Mistress of Evil as she unleashes her venomous attacks on her victims. The lyrics highlight the use of chains, darkness, and fiery breath as she unleashes her power onto her prey. The song ends with the finality of death and the Mistress of Evil standing over her victim, triumphant in her skeletal form, having taken the victim's soul against his will.
In conclusion, "Mistress of Evil" is a powerful representation of the violence associated with female power in heavy metal music that serves as a warning to those who underestimate the power and capability of women.
Line by Line Meaning
She's a killer, she's out to get you
The subject of the song is a murderer, who is actively seeking to harm the listener.
You're a victim – her prey
The listener is the intended target of the killer, and is in great danger.
She's got a deal with the devil
The killer has made some sort of agreement with the forces of evil that allows her to carry out her evil deeds with supernatural assistance.
to sacrifice the lives that live forever
The killer's ultimate goal is to murder immortal beings, perhaps as a challenge to the divine or as a means of achieving power over death itself.
Searchin for a virgin
The killer is in pursuit of a specific victim, who is likely a young, innocent person who has not yet been sullied by earthly experience or temptation.
blood thirsty lust takes over control
The killer is motivated by a primal, animalistic desire for blood and violence, which overwhelms her sense of reason or morality.
Terror, you yearn to flee
The listener is filled with intense fear and dread, and desperately wants to escape the danger presented by the killer.
We touched the sky
The artist and perhaps other victims had high hopes or grand aspirations before being attacked by the killer.
We never lived to wonder why
The artist and other victims did not have the chance to understand or make sense of the killer's motivations before being killed.
She came from hell to burn the sky
The killer is a demonic or infernal entity who has descended from the depths of the underworld to wreak havoc on the mortal world.
She came from hell to see us die - ya die
The killer is excited by the prospect of causing the listeners' deaths, and revels in the pain and suffering that they will inflict.
Mistress of evil
The killer is the personification of evil, and revels in the destruction and manipulation of those around her.
She's comin to take you away
The killer is on her way to find the listener, and will soon have them in her grasp.
Her shadow surrounds you
The killer is close by, and her presence is felt in the environment around the listener.
as you fall into her venomous clutch
The listener is about to be captured by the killer, whose grip is filled with sickly poison or dark magic.
Chained up in darkness you never thought
The listener is trapped, unable to escape the killer's grasp or the bleak, oppressive setting in which they find themselves.
of death could hurt this much
The listener is in agony, suffering the physical and emotional pain of being attacked by the killer.
Her feel and fiery breath,
The killer is described as having a hot and dangerous aura, which adds to her ominous and otherworldly presence.
her blackness brings at last your final day
The killer is associated with the color black, which is often symbolic of death and the void, and will soon bring about the listener's demise.
Four shoots from her fingers,
The killer can project dangerous energy or attacks from her fingertips, which can be devastating to anyone caught in her sights.
there in a pool of blood you lay
The listener has been fatally wounded by the killer's attack, and lies dying in a large pool of their own blood.
And there she stands in her skeletal shape
The killer is described as being almost skeletal or gaunt in appearance, which adds to her eerie and otherworldly demeanor.
She cannot win what she cannot take
The killer may be motivated by a desire for ultimate power, but is unable to achieve true victory unless she can physically defeat the listener.
But she took your soul against your will
Even if the listener manages to survive the killer's initial attack, their spirit or essence may be stolen or corrupted by the killer's dark magic.
And she'll be back again to kill !!
The killer is not finished, and will return to cause further chaos and destruction in the future.
Contributed by Brooklyn Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.