FRENZY FIRE

    

METAL & ROCK REVIEWS

    
             
HOME            
REVIEWS            
ARTISTS            
UPCOMING            
LINKS            
             

 

     
   
   
       
       

Exelerate

    
       
       
       
     
             
Exelerate are a power/thrash metal band from Denmark formed in 2012, releasing their debut E.P. in 2014, and their debut self titled album in 2023.    
             
Hailing from the country that gave the world the legendary thrash metal band Artillery, Exelerate - while not an out and out thrash metal band - are probably eighty percent thrash, ten percent power metal, and ten percent traditional metal. The bands sound is aggressive and in your face, infectious and head bang-able, and will turn heads wherever it is played or heard. Lead singer Stefan Jensen says "listeners need to be enticed, inspired and spoiled until they can't get enough. It is important for us to give them something to latch on to, like a catchy melody, a fantastic solo or just a massive breakdown. It's all a part of capturing your audience's attention and keeping it" - and I couldn't agree more! And for the albums entire forty six minute run time, the band do exactly what Jensen says - the two minute tempo changing, anticipation fuelled and tension loaded intro 'Arrival', having listeners frothing at the mouth with excitement...    
             
...just as Jensen screams "you've got no eeeescaaaaaaaaape" - and album opener (proper) 'No Escape' hurtles into life, causing worldwide seismic events as it adopts a hustle and bustle atmosphere of head bang-able thrash infused metal. With such an explosive opening, did Exelerate use all their sticks of dynamite! Fuck no - there's still plenty left in the shed! 'Spawn Of Satan' a furiously fast paced slice of thrash that's gonna make the head bangers of the world bang their heads faster than they've ever been banged before. Neck muscle elasticity is gonna be tested to the max, Exelerate delivering the ideal opportunity for metalheads to stretch their necks and rock their heads back and forth as fast as they can. A simply blistering way to start the album, the band maintain their thrashier side with the more in your face and attitudinal 'Release' - Exelerate blending traditional metals classic "foot on the monitor" style with the heavier thump of thrash. And so seamlessly too!    
             
And as the album moves on, so does the pace - 'Children Of The Sun' maintaining the incredible intensity the band began with. And at such speed too! It's like the band are sat on the border between heavy metal and thrash metal, their legs dangling down the thrash side, but not willing to fully commit by jumping right in! Which is good news for their audience - a very wide audience made up of fans of two fantastic genres of metal. Way to go Exelerate, way to go! And without warning the band slow down - 'God Of Man' floating in on the crest of a mellow acoustic stroll, building to an incredibly atmospheric crescendo, the band eventually assuming their normal swagger - and with a greater melodious intent than heard so far. Exelerate definitely standing in the heavy metal genre for this one.    
             
The album to this point has been a lethal aural assault of thrash infused heavy metal, the band pummelling the senses hard with a heavy dose of red hot scorching metal - 'Lethal Assault' powering on with all the intensity and aggression of everything heard so far! Maybe even more! The band continuing to shake and shudder the ground they walk on, err, run on! Or should that be the ground they steam roller over! Yea, that's better, flattening everything and everyone in sight. Exelerate just don't give listeners a breather - the album moving on with the mid tempo thunder of 'In Between Insanity'. And a slower pace than any other song on offer - that is until the swift change of gears mid song! 'In Between Insanity' adopting the expected fast paced onslaught we've now become accustomed to. Fucking great stuff from the Danish metallers. Bringing 'Exelerate' to a close, 'Epilogue' features the same tension loaded atmosphere as album opener 'Arrival', along with acoustic guitars and a feeling that it's a warm down tune from a vigorous work-out! Which is kinda true, for necks have been worked out to a great extent with heads rocking back and forth all album long!    
             
Overall, a thunderous assault of thrashy heavy metal, Exelerate delight and excite with forty six furious minutes of pure head bang ability.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
Top