Exhorder, New Orleans’ thrash metal pioneers, have officially reunited. The group pioneered the power groove style, and Lamb of God and Slipknot both cite it as a main influence. After years of reunion rumors, local reunion concerts at Zeppelin’s in Metairie, an official permanent disbanding and a resurgent interest in heavy metal, Exhorder decided to reunite. Exhorder formed in the mid-1980s and rejected the glam metal of the time, focusing instead on darker issues with a brutal sonic attack. The current lineup of Kyle Thomas, Vinnie LaBella, Jay Ceravolo, Chris Nail, and Andy Villafarra fused jazz, blues, heavy metal, punk, and funk into thrash metal with a trademark groove. Thomas’ writing addressed humanist themes with violent, anti- Catholic lyrics convicting the church for hypocrisy.
Exhorder began as a “metal band with punk influence,” Thomas says. After opening a handful of punk shows, Exhorder’s popularity exploded since the band appealed to metal and punk fans. The band soon headlined its own local shows, then signed a major label record deal and recorded Slaughter in the Vatican in 1990 and The Law in 1992 and toured America and Europe twice. Unfortunately, as quickly and decisively as Exhorder exploded onto the music scene, it disintegrated when interest in thrash metal was consumed by death metal, then grunge.
Thomas promises that Exhorder will retain the dark themes that made it famous and continue writing aggressive, unapologetic songs with contemporary themes. The band hopes to achieve a balance between its angry, aggressive past and more
traditional song structures. Once the chemistry returns, Exhorder plans to play live shows in New Orleans to prove to the fans that the reunion is legitimate, then tour, re-record some old songs, and then release new material in three song increments as digital downloads. To avoid an unrepresentative sound, the band will retain total control over production. “
The 20-year layoff will give the band that much more to say,” Thomas says. He hopes that there will be less internal drama this time around, and that they become a stronger songwriting unit so that Exhorder can, in his words, “convey our feelings through our music very well, which is what we best offer the fan base.”
Exhorder returns Saturday, November 14 at Southport Hall.
