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.
Violence & Force
Exciter Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Fighting for my life never knowing what's to come
Shell shock, heart attack eats me to the bone
Through the darkest Hell this battle rages on & on
Enemy attack walls of fire burn the sky
Fighting with the rats of war, preparing to die
Violence & Force
Violence & Force
Taken by Violence & Force
Armed with the weapons the power and the might
Opening fire defacing all in sight
Nuclear disaster forget about the war
A touch of switch no man will exist no more
Enemy attack walls of fire burn the sky
Fighting with the rats of war, preparing to die
Violence & Force
Taken by Violence & Force
Violence & Force
Taken by Violence & Force
Life on the stage is like the bloody crypts of war
Mind ripping metal shouting out for more
Fire bombs & smoke white beamsfrom the lights
The scene of a battle burning in the night
Leave behind the weak we must take the strong in hand
Together are the wicked violent forces in command
Violence & Force
Taken by Violence & Force
Violence & Force
Taken by Violence &
Force!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The lyrics of Exciter's song "Violence & Force" depict the experience of a soldier fighting in a war. The opening lines talk about living in fear in the trenches at the front, where the singer is constantly fighting for his life without knowing what's to come. The theme of fear and uncertainty is reiterated as the battle rages on in the darkest of Hells, both physically and metaphorically. The second stanza talks about the power and might that come with armed weapons and opening fire, defacing whatever comes in sight. The lyrics then shift to the idea of nuclear disaster, where a simple touch of a switch can eradicate human life. The chorus repeats the phrase "Taken by Violence & Force" as a metaphor for the singer's surrender to the brutality of war.
The final stanza shifts to the theme of life on stage being like the bloody crypts of war. The imagery is about fire bombs and smoke on stage, similar to a battle burning in the night. The singer leaves behind the weak and takes the strong in hand, implying that only the violent forces can survive in a world of war. The song ends with a bold statement of surrender to the forces of violence and force, where the exclamation marks signify the intensity of the surrender.
Overall, the lyrics of "Violence & Force" convey a strong message about the brutalities of war and its psychological impact on soldiers.
Line by Line Meaning
Living in fear in the ditches at the front
Being constantly afraid and unsure of what is coming next while fighting in the front lines of a war.
Fighting for my life never knowing what's to come
Struggling to survive in battle without knowing what dangers may come next.
Shell shock, heart attack eats me to the bone
Suffering from extreme physical and mental stress, causing physical harm and emotional pain.
Through the darkest Hell this battle rages on & on
Sustaining severe combat for an extended period of time, feeling as if in the depths of a never-ending battle.
Enemy attack walls of fire burn the sky
Being attacked by the enemy with such force that it seems like the very sky is aflame.
Fighting with the rats of war, preparing to die
Engaging in brutal combat with fellow soldiers characterized as rats of war, and anticipating the possibility of imminent death.
Violence & Force
The method of warfare that is currently being employed.
Taken by Violence & Force
Overwhelmed and defeated by the brutal tactics of the enemy.
Armed with the weapons the power and the might
Possessing the most deadly and effective weaponry to combat the enemy with great strength and control.
Opening fire defacing all in sight
Beginning combat by destroying and defacing everything visible to cause damage to the opposing force.
Nuclear disaster forget about the war
A disaster of nuclear proportions that would overshadow the current conflict is imminent.
A touch of switch no man will exist no more
With just a single switch, all humanity will be wiped out and there will be no men left alive.
Life on the stage is like the bloody crypts of war
Being a performer is akin to being in the midst of a violent conflict.
Mind ripping metal shouting out for more
Aggressive music that inspires excitement and screams for even more violence.
Fire bombs & smoke white beams from the lights
The scene of destruction from war being recreated on stage through pyrotechnics and light displays.
The scene of a battle burning in the night
A vision of a major battle being fought and burning throughout the night.
Leave behind the weak we must take the strong in hand
Those who cannot withstand the battle must be left behind, while the strongest continue on.
Together are the wicked violent forces in command
All of the violent and aggressive people are in charge of the battle and have come together to execute their brutal plan.
Contributed by Eva A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Rowdy Strongarm
Holy crap! I don't think I have heard this in almost 30 years and it still holds up. I had this on cassette way back in the day listened to it until it didn't work anymore.
Tom Morrow
Chech out jag panzer. Outta denver from same time.
ghost of phantom
Brabíssimo, que álbum incrível.
ALEXANDRE TEIXEIRA BENJAMIN
Classic Heavy Metal album! Excellent songs,awesome band! Bang your head!
The Destroyer
Melodies
*MARCELO 1967*
EU COMPREI ESTE DISCO VINIL EM 1986 E TENHO ATÉ HOJE. EM 1986 EU FUI ASSISTIR EM SÃO PAULO NA ABERTURA ESTAVA VENON e VULCANO 🇧🇷
Boston Meadhorn
Come to Germany 😏
*MARCELO 1967*
@Renato R.S. 🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼🤘🏼
Renato R.S.
Eu estava lá! Lembro que os agudos do mr. Dan Beehler doia nos ouvidos! Fiquei puto por causa do Venom ter levado 2 guitarristas estranhos e fraquinhos no lugar do Mantas! rsrs Tirei 12 fotos com aquelas máquinas "Xereta", quando fui revelar só saiu uma e quase não se vê nada! rsrsrsrs Fui com a namorada, eu tinha 20 anos e até esqueci dela na hora do show ! rsrsrsrs Era Venom e Exciter! rs E, vai Curinthia !
Carlos Manga
Assisti esse show em Brasilia, os caras detonaram!