EXUMER — Possessed by Fire (review)

EXUMER — Possessed by Fire album cover Album · 1986 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Time Signature
Destructive solution...

Genre: thrash metal

Originally released in 1986 and featuring an iconic and extremely recognizable cover artwork which resonates with most people, the music on Exumer's "Possessed By Fire" is probably unknown to most metalheads nowadays. Part of the Teutonic thrash metal wave of the 80s, this band actually became quite popular in the 80s, but eventually slipped into oblivion.

This is about to change, as End of the Light Records has issued this release in digipak format. This gives the horde of you metal kids a chance to check out this cult German thrash metal band.

While Metallica went tech on "Master of Puppets", Exumer continued the style of speed/thrash metal that Metallica introduced on "Kill 'Em All" and further developed on "Ride the Lightening". Thus, Exumer treats the listener to fast and aggressive, and not too complex, guitar riffage with guitars chucking away at your eardrums and Mem Von Stein's aggressive yells violating what is left of your brain. Like early Exodus, many of Exumer's songs on this album consist of compact and aggressive riffs (but in a more speed-oriented style) which are repeated. Many of the riffs are rooted in traditional heavy metal but sped up to match the aggression of 80s speed/thrash metal.

This combination of Exodus-like compact repetition and a more Metallica-like use of changes and shifts works incredibly well for Exumer on this release, as the changes often appear to come out of the blue and hit you in the face. Just check out tracks like 'Sorrows of the Judgement' and 'Xiron Dark Star'. This combination is one of the main attractions of this album and, although not at all tech thrash, it should still appeal to those who like thrash metal but want more than just the aggression of black thrash and old school speed metal.

The 80s metal sound has been retained on this album, which means that there is a lot of reverb and that the overall production, while well defined, is not at all polished. The performance is a bit sloppy at times, but that is just part of the charm of any 80s thrash metal release, and the song structures as well as the quite rock-oriented guitar solos do indicate that there was a lot of talent in Exumer back in 1986.

The bonus tracks should appeal primarily to fans of the band and are definitely an interesting inclusion, but the most important part of this reissue remains the original album. Any fan of old school thrash metal who had not yet had the chance to get acquainted with Exumer's thrash metal style, should take advantage of the situation and order a copy of the reissued version of "Possessed By Fire" now.
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