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.
Swords Of Darkness
Exciter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Battle of the Titans, tonight they will invade
Sorcerers around us behold the demon fire
The Swords of Darkness at their side, veild and awesome power
As the battle rages on, the heavens are destroyed
Darkness falls around, you're lost within a void
Those who've felt the wrath of god, many lives they've stole
Will they ever forget the wicked war they fought
Metal mutants feed upon the corpses as they rot
All you hear are battle cries & blood that pours like rain
Swords of Darkness rule at last & send you to your grave
Now the time is running out you know the end is near
The entity in black has come to feed upon your fears
The wizards cast their final blows to ashes fall the gods
Destruction of another world, the light is all but gone
As the battle rages on the heavens are destroyed
Darkness falls around you, you're lost within a void
Scorching through the icy skies, filled with manic rage
Battle of the Titans, tonight they will invade
Sorcerers around us behold the demon fire
The Swords of Darkness at their side, veild and awesome power
As the battle rages on, the heavens are destroyed
Darkness falls around, you're lost within a void
The lyrics of "Swords of Darkness" by Exciter describe a fierce and epic battle between powerful beings, possibly titans, sorcerers, and metal mutants. The battle takes place in the skies, in a world where the heavens are being destroyed and darkness is falling around the fighters. The Swords of Darkness, which are at the side of the sorcerers, are described as possessing an awe-inspiring power, and the battle is full of manic rage as battle cries fill the air and blood pours like rain.
The song also touches on the theme of damnation, describing the cursed souls of those who have felt the wrath of god and the metal mutants who feed on the corpses of the fallen warriors. The lyrics convey a sense of impending doom, as the entity in black has come to feed on the fears of the fighters, and destruction is brought upon another world leaving only darkness and a void.
Overall, the lyrics of "Swords of Darkness" evoke a sense of grandeur and epicness, while also exploring themes of power, destruction, and damnation.
Line by Line Meaning
Scorching through the icy skies, filled with manic rage
The fighters are moving at high speed through the cold skies with intense fury and anger.
Battle of the Titans, tonight they will invade
A big fight between powerful rivals is expected to happen tonight.
Sorcerers around us behold the demon fire
Magicians are witnessing the terrifying flames of the demon.
The Swords of Darkness at their side, veiled and awesome power
The fighters carry the formidable and mysterious power of the Swords of Darkness.
As the battle rages on, the heavens are destroyed
The fight causes catastrophic damage to the skies and the celestial bodies above.
Darkness falls around, you're lost within a void
The darkness envelops everything and leaves you feeling trapped and disoriented.
Damned are the defiant, cursed are their souls
The stubborn and disobedient ones are condemned, and their souls are afflicted by a curse.
Those who've felt the wrath of god, many lives they've stole
Those who have been punished by a higher power have also caused a great loss of life.
Will they ever forget the wicked war they fought
Will they ever be able to erase the memories of the cruel and violent battle they fought?
Metal mutants feed upon the corpses as they rot
The creatures made of metal consume the decaying bodies of the dead.
All you hear are battle cries & blood that pours like rain
All you can hear are screams of war and blood that flows incessantly like rain.
Swords of Darkness rule at last & send you to your grave
The Swords of Darkness finally triumph and send you to your death.
Now the time is running out you know the end is near
You realize that time is running out and the end is imminent.
The entity in black has come to feed upon your fears
A dark entity has appeared to prey on your deepest fears.
The wizards cast their final blows to ashes fall the gods
The magicians deliver the last powerful strikes, causing the destruction of the higher powers.
Destruction of another world, the light is all but gone
The annihilation of another world is complete, leaving only darkness behind.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALLAN L. JOHNSON, DAN BEEHLER, JOHN RICCI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind