FROM THE CRYPTS - CELEBRATING PAST ALBUM RELEASES in the HISTORY of HARD ROCK & HEAVY METAL…
36 years ago this month, the Second Wave of German Thrash Metal found us Possessed by Fire!
On November 8, 1986, Exumer released their first full-length studio album Possessed by Fire via Disaster Records.
The album was produced by Harris Johns at Music Lab Berlin.
Possessed by Fire, is musically in the same vein as Into the Dark Past by the then-labelmates Angel Dust.
Background:
In 1984 Mem Von Stein wanted to start a serious Thrash Metal band. That very year he met a guy named Ray at a Slayer show where they both worked as part of the local crew. They started talking and went on to form the band that would become Exumer. The band recorded one demo called A Mortal In Black (where Mem performed the vocals) before signing a record deal with the SPV subsidiary Disaster Records.
Needless to say, 1986 was a very strong year for the German Thrash Metal scene, with several classics being released, most of them by acts previously unexposed to fans, like Kreator's Pleasure To Kill, Sodom's Obsessed By Cruelty, Assassin's The Upcoming Terror, etc. Adding to the list was Exumer's Possessed By Fire, which was certainly one of the very best from this era. The level of quality found here is rarely achieved.
If you are a fan of Sodom (Agent Orange), or Destruction (Infernal Overkill)", this is one gem that you need to track down.
Click this link to purchase Possessed by Fire via Bandcamp: https://exumerband.bandcamp.com/album/possessed-by-fire
Critical Reception:
Upon its release, Rock Hard magazine gave Possessed by Fire a positive review, saying;
“With Exumer, the southern German label Disaster has succeeded in another stroke of luck after Angel Dust, because this new trash group is also far above the usual national standard, both in terms of musicality (Ray Mensh and Bernie, the two guitarists, are certainly among the best in their field , and also drummer Syke Bortietto shines with skilful work behind the skins) as well as song material (break follows break). In addition, the band has a shouter in bassist and vocalist Mem von Stein, who can be compared with ex-Exodus frontman Paul Baloff (R.I.P.), especially in the high pitches. The highlights are the opener Possessed By Fire, A Mortal In Black (also the title of their demo), Journey To Oblivion and Silent Death, but the rest of the tracks are also very convincing.”
On October 1, 1998, Matthias Noll from Chronicles of Chaos gave the reissue of Possessed by Fire a great review, saying;
“The German Thrash Metal attack of the mid eighties was spearheaded by legendary bands like Destruction, Kreator and Sodom. Hard on the heels of these highly influential bands came a second wave of bands like Assassin, Darkness, Deathrow and Exumer. While from today's perspective most of these later bands failed to create any worthy output and usually suffered from a poor singer and uninspired song material, that's not the case with the first Exumer album, Possessed by Fire. Produced by Harris Johns (Kreator, Pestilence, Sodom, etc.) and originally released in 1986, this album still is an outstanding example of 80's quality Thrash Metal. Exumer's style is mostly fast, aggressive and hard hitting, with memorable choruses, impressive breaks and supported by another great production from Mr. Johns. Vocalist Mem also manages to set this album apart from others with his intense vocal style, which sometimes reminds me of Paul Baloff, and fortunately doesn't sound too "German". While being not as over the top and raw as Kreator's Pleasure to Kill, this album is one of Germany's finest moments.
Noll concluded with;
"…this is enjoyable stuff, but also leaves me wondering what Exumer could have achieved with the original line up. If you're into 80's Thrash Metal, check this out!
Note: The reviews shared here are for historical reference. The views and opinions expressed within are not always supported (in full or in part) by Into the Wells. — E.N. Wells
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