EXCITER

[EricStav]

I just read not too long ago that BEEHLER, featuring former EXCITER members Dan Beehler and Allan Johnson broke up. I think we need to start a petition or something and get the original EXCITER back together: Dan Beehler, Allan Johnson, and John Ricci. Beehler and Johnson seem to be into the idea to reform the original EXCITER line-up, but Ricci isn't into it. If this is indeed the case, boy, I wish that someone could change his mind. EXCITER are Canadian metal gods, with "Heavy Metal Maniac" and "Violence And Force" being two of the greatest metal albums of all time!! I am sure EXCITER is a favorite among most of the members of this board. Any thoughts/opinions on EXCITER people?

[big mouth]

I was kiinda sure BEEHLER had broke up..; it's a shame because their material was so much better than the last batch of EXCITER albums.... still having a reunion with the 3 heads would be absolutely GREAT.... it's just too bad Ricci isn't into it..he's probably more interested in writing silly/ talentless/speed for the sake of speed stuff these days... here's you have 3 guys still into Metal, still playing their instruments but they can't get together.... well I still have hope somebody will put a good offer on the table and maybe that will change his mind.... let's hope they will perform the whole "HM Maniac" masterpiece if that happens and use their old axes, their leather and all that shit haha!!!

[steelreign]

Hell yeah, I second that motion! I spoke to Ricci at the Brave Words festival in Cleveland this year, and I asked him about this possibility, along with info on the reissues. He told me that he has nothing to do with the reissues and that he wants no money from that project, and that there were some issues between him and Beehler as to the reunion. I told him how I (and many other old true maniacs like me!) felt about it, and he said "we'll see what happens."' Let's not give up hope just yet!

Brian

[Hugin]

Hope I won't spoil the ongoing reunion-circus, but I personally am quite happy with what Exciter are doing these days, and I consider Jacques Bélanger an absolutely great and energetic frontman. However, I also loved the stuff with Beehler, and so I'm rather indifferent, like in most cases when we talk about reunions. I don't want Bélanger to go, but I could also perfectly live with Beehler coming back. It was the same with Judas Priest, Anthrax, Iron Maiden, whoever. I can arrange pretty well with changes of personel in my favourite bands. I'm just not very enthusiastic about fans, media and record labels trying to talk bands into reunions. They should do what they deem right, and we'll see if we like it afterwards.

[Cthulhu]

I like Exciter with Belanger and I don't want Beehler back.

[Hugin]

Hehe, yeah... Maybe I should also learn to express my thoughts a bit straighter without twists, turns and "but" and "however". In fact I agree with you Cthulhu, just wanted to say that I could also live with a reunion, if it should happen.

I've now seen Exciter four times with Belanger, and they always have been great. I think I'd miss that great frontman that Jacques is when we had Beehler again, hidden behind the drums. I also think that "The Dark Command" was one hell of an album. "Blood Of The Tyrants" a bit weaker, but still great.

[Metal Beer Horror]

I'd literally kill someone to see the original line-up of EXCITER get back together.

I'm not a big fan of the newer EXCITER albums and,honestly,they shoulkd have changed their name after Ricci left because those albums went downhill pretty fast in my opinion.

Dan Beehler IS the voice of EXCITER as far as I'm concerned. Belanger is a decent singer but when I saw them at a metalfest and they did the old songs I wasn't too "into it". Belanger did alright but still a band that legendary NEEDS the original line-up to come back and show the world how it's done once again.

[big mouth]

Well said Metal Beer!!!!!

[Stormbringer]

Come on, what choice did John Ricci have? He tried to talk Dan Beehler into joining the reformed Exciter several times! Dan told him he had retired from the music business. Of course Ricci went with Belanger then! I think especially the Dark Command album is brilliant! Of course nothing beats the real thing but compared to a lot of other reformed bands, Exciter still deliver the goods (although the latest album with the re-recorded versions perhaps wasn't the best choice...)!

[Hugin]

I'm a rather conservative metalhead also, but I'm not one of those guys trying to talk bands into reunions. If they feel like it's a good thing to reunite, I'm happy, of course, but apart from that, I'm fine with bands doing something new with new members. I'm not a guy always wanting to re-vitalize the past. I like both outfits of Exciter in their own right, and I much prefer Exciter with Belanger to a half-hearted attempt at recreating the "Heavy Metal Maniac"-vibes with a superficial reunion. If they'd really feel like reuniting, okay, no problem, but just to please the old fans for the sake of nostalgy... Well, no thanks.

To take another example: I liked the one-off-reunions of Accept, but I much prefer U.D.O. continuing their course to a permanent Accept-reunion with new studioalbums.

[Metal Beer Horror]

Ricci could have formed a new band (which is esentially what he did),renamed the band and gotten a good record deal anyway because all he would have to do is say "hey,I was in Candian metal powerhouse EXCITER". They would have gotten more exposure form the "featuring the guitarist of EXCITER" sticker that Osmose (or ANY label) would have plastered their magazine advertisments and CD covers with.

It's funny...these musician are all against "living in the past" when there are bad times in a band but then they go ahead and name themselves after a reminder of how truly shitty those times were in the first place.

And I agree...if Beehler and Johnson WEREN'T going to give the reunion 100% then I'm glad that nobody went through with it. It still would have been nice to see the band give it a shot though.

Finally...not to piss on your opinion Stormbringer but Dark Command and Blood Of Tyrants were two of the most boring and repetitive metal albums I have ever heard.