Exhorder
Formed: 1985
From:
New Orleans,
LA,
United States
Last Known Status: Active
Latest Exhorder News
Below is our complete Exhorder news coverage, including columns and articles pertaining to the band. Some articles listed may be indirectly related, such as side projects of the band members, etc.
Displaying records 1 - 20 of 69 1 2 3 4 Last
Exhorder Premiere New Live Video
Pioneering groove metal band Exhorder have shared a live video for their track “The Tale Of Unsound Minds.” The footage was captured during the band’s April 25, 2025 performance at the Fillmore in New Orleans, LA, where they were opening for Acid Bath.
Directed by Mike Holderbeast, the clip arrives as a preview of Exhorder’s upcoming Unforeseen Circumstances Tour, which will see the band headlining alongside Luicidal, Ringworm, Phobia, and Slowhole: More...
Report
Brutal Assault 2025 Five Days & 73k Steps of Metal
This year was Brutal Assault’s 30 anniversary and the organizers gifted metal fans with over 140 bands ranging from the avant-garde to the most extreme black metal plus every heavy metal genre in between those two. Even though I was exhausted by the end of the festival, I have nothing but incredible memories to look back upon. If you’re into statistics the following are Metalunderground’s for the fest: Thirty-four bands covered, two face-to-face interviews (Gene Hoglan from Dark Angel and Malevolent Creation), 73,000 steps with temperatures ranging from the upper 50’s to the middle 80’s Fahrenheit over a five-day span with fifteen minutes of rain on the warm-up day. Not too shabby.
If this is your first time hearing about this festival, I’ll make this quick. Brutal Assault takes place at the 18th century Josefov Fortress located in the metalhead friendly town of Jaromer, located on the eastern edge of the Czech Republic. The fortress has served as Brutal Assault’s home base since 2012 and its massive worn brick walls and labyrinth of hallways and catacombs make Brutal Assault one of the most unique and popular European summer metal festivals year after year. If you’ve never been to Brutal Assault before, check out the video below for a brief and partial walkaround of the festival’s grounds.
In the past, I would normally post reports of the bands that I saw day by day and also my overall opinion of that year’s festival. To be honest, I think writing long-winded reports is now considered outdated in terms of Road Reports and more of you would prefer to read the bullet points and watch some videos to get the gist of the festival being reported on. Without further ado, here’s the skinny on this year’s Brutal Assault.
I was able to catch the majority of this year’s headliner acts to include Macabre (warm-up day), Kerry King, Rotting Christ, Gojira, Blood Fire Death, Fear Factory, Mayhem, Dimmu Borgir, Cult of Luna, Opeth and The Halo Effect. With all the aforementioned bands worthy of headliner status, one band stood out above the rest, and it wasn’t even close. That band was Gojira.
Even before Gojira was awarded Olympic gold medal status among heavy music fans around the world, they had already proven that they were one of the world’s top metal acts long before last year's Summer Olympics performance. Fast forward to Gojira’s set at this year’s Brutal Assault set and I think just about everyone that witnessed it would say that it was a jaw dropping and heart stopping performance.
I’ve seen Gojira plenty of times and they’ve always been excellent, but this time it was just on a different level. They only way I can describe it was that they were perfect. Their sound, the musicianship, their stage show and the energy flowing back and forth between crowd and band was amazing. If you don’t believe me, just go on YouTube and watch for yourself. I was able to record one song and even though it’s farther back from the stage, you can get the gist of it.
Wretched Premiere New Single & Music Video "Decay"
North Carolina-based death metal outfit Wretched have announced that their long-awaited new album, “Decay,” will be released on October 17th via Metal Blade Records. Marking the band’s fifth full-length effort, the record follows over two years of dedicated writing and recording, with the production and engineering handled entirely in-house by the group themselves. The accompanying music video for the title-track was directed by David Brodsky, known for his work with Cannibal Corpse and Cattle Decapitation. You can watch the visual below:
Drummer Marshall Wieczorek addressed the extended gap between this release and their previous album, 2014’s “Cannibal,” stating: More...
Incite Premiere New Single & Lyric Video "Lies"
Incite debuted their latest single, 'Lies,' accompanied by the lyric video below, both of which now available for streaming via YouTube and Spotify for you below. The track is set to appear on Incite’s forthcoming album “Savage New Times”, slated for release on August 15th.
Frontman Richie Cavalera shared the following thoughts on the track: More...
OpEd
Brutal Assault Is Almost Here!!! Are You Going?
Here are some quotes from past attendees on YouTube:
"You go to Brutal once, you will fall in love instantly!" - @gybarni
"This is the best festival in the whole world! Can't wait for next year! <3" - @eveningwhispers13
"Best festival ever :D See you in BA 28!" - @AnsiSysX86
And the quotes go on and on...need more convincing? Watch the 2024 aftermovie below. More...
Report
Vio-Lence Leads A Thrash Metal Charge In London
Even the legends still have first times for everything. When thrash metal exploded onto the scene in the 1980s to take on the wretched plague of glam, many of the American names were able to cross the pond and perform in Europe, including Britain, who themselves wanted either an evolution of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, or an alternative to the synthpop that dominated the airwaves. Of course, the Bay Area was one of the two main homes for American thrash, along with the East Coast, and it gave the world such groups as Metallica, Megadeth and of course, Vio-Lence, whose debut album, "Eternal Nightmare" is still considered a classic of the genre to this day. In 1990, they would release their sophomore full length, "Oppressing The Masses" and now, thirty five years later, Sean Killian and co. marked the occasion with their first headlining tour of the UK and Ireland, along with other European dates, and they had some very impressive company joining them.
All too often, unknown openers are dismissed, especially when it comes to a weekday show and people are debating whether to stop home on their way from work or whatever, but those who got to the show on time today were able to witness history. Tonight's curtain jerkers were Kuazar, who were not only performing their first show in London too, but became the first metal band from Paraguay to perform in the UK. While it's always cool to be a part of history, the big question is, are they actually any good? Well, yes, demonstrably so. Kuazar are clearly very proud of their homeland, and the South American nation couldn't have picked better ambassadors for their metal scene.
The trio boasts a very impressive catalogue, with material from their most recent album, "Hybrid Power," proving particularly impressive. "Obscure & Violent" sounded fantastic, while the other tracks had more of a story behind them, such as the call for mental health support and anti-suicide anthem, "Silence," as well as the rousing "Machete Che Pope (Acosta Ñu,)" a song about the horrific slaughter of children in their homeland. Musically, they're very much at home on a thrash bill, but there's a bit more to them than that, offering some heavy grooves and pummeling rhythms, along with an intense stage presence that invites everyone around them to come closer, which they did very quickly. This was one of the most impressive openers I've seen for a while and I hope they're able to return to Europe soon. More...
Exhorder To Play This Summer's Brutal Assault
Exhorder are coming to Brutal Assault - the New Orleans pioneers of groove-laden thrash will unleash their raw power with unrelenting intensity. King Woman will envelop you in their hypnotic blend of ethereal doom and melancholic shoegaze, while XIII. STOLETÍ bring their iconic gothic rock, weaving dark poetry into haunting melodies.
Brutal Assault will take place in the Czech Republic at the Josefov Fortress during August 6-9, 2025.
Festival passes are available HERE! More...
Category 7 Premiere New Single & Music Video
Thrash metal supergroup Category 7 has premiered a music video for their track "Land I Used To Love." Directed by Tom Flynn (known for his work with As I Lay Dying and 10 Years), this latest video showcases the band’s powerhouse lineup of veteran metal musicians, which includes:
Vocals: John Bush (Armored Saint, ex-Anthrax)
Guitars: Mike Orlando (ex-Adrenaline Mob)
Guitars: Phil Demmel (Kerry King, ex-Machine Head/Vio-lence)
Bass: Jack Gibson (Exodus)
Drums: Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall/Overkill)
The group’s first headlining tour in support of their self-titled debut album will kick off this spring, with dates as follows: More...
Category 7 Announces First U.S. Tour Dates
Category 7, featuring John Bush (Armored Saint, Anthrax), Phil Demmel (Kerry King, Machine Head), Mike Orlando (Adrenaline Mob), Jack Gibson (Exodus), and Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall, Overkill), today announces their 2025 first ever tour in support of their self-titled Metal Blade debut.
The fourteen-show trek commences on March 6th in Baltimore, Maryland and runs through March 23rd in Atlanta, Georgia. Direct support on all shows will be provided by Exhorder (except Milwaukee). Additional support will be provided by Hand Of The Tribe on all dates, as well as Dead By Wednesday on the first four dates, and Engineered Society Project on the remainder of the tour, starting in Warrendale.
Comments vocalist John Bush; "Looking forward to Category 7 blowing off the roofs of some venues on the East Coast and Midwest in March of 2025. This will be the first time the band will be playing live so come and check out some killer musicianship. Playing songs from the debut record should be fun. See ya there!"
Adds guitarist Phil Demmel; "Batten down your hatches because the C7 tempest is about to touch ground in the US this March! We all are so thrilled to launch this band and bring our show through the states! See you in the eye of the storm!" More...
Exhorder Premiere New Single & Music Video
Exhorder's latest album, "Defectum Omnium," has been officially released. Alongside its release comes the music video for the track "Wrath Of Prophecies," directed by the pioneering groove metal outfit themselves.
Vocalist/guitarist Kyle Thomas shared his thoughts on the release: More...
Exhorder Premiere New Single & Music Video
Earlier this year, New Orleans' thrashy groove metal pioneers Exhorder announced the upcoming release of their fourth studio album, "Defectum Omnium," set to drop on March 8th via Nuclear Blast. Adding to the anticipation, the band has just unveiled the second single from the album, titled "Forever And Beyond Despair."
Vocalist and guitarist Kyle Thomas shared his thoughts on the track: More...
Exhorder Announces New Album
NOLA thrash and groove trailblazers Exhorder have revealed details and plans for the release of their eagerly anticipated 4th full-length record, "Defectum Omnium," that’s due out March 8th from Nuclear Blast Records. Featuring 12 crushing tracks and ominous cover artwork by Travis Smith (Katatonia, Opeth), the album follows the band’s critically revered 2019 release Mourn The Southern Skies. Fans can pre-order "Defectum Omnium" now!
Commenting on the impending album, vocalist/guitarist Kyle Thomas states:
"It’s been quite a journey for Exhorder since the 2019 release of ‘Mourn the Southern Skies’. Line-up changes as well as the 2020-2021 pandemic and lockdown presented hurdles that weren’t easy to overcome. But we persevered, kept our heads down and went to work with intense focus and real goals. One of those goals was to bring our fourth full length album to our fan base. ‘Defectum Omnium’ is a collaborative effort in songwriting, much as it was in the early days of Exhorder. We produced it ourselves, as we felt no need or desire to bring in anyone from the outside based upon our shared vision. It was also important to us not only to continue the natural progression this band has been in since the early 90’s, but to put a foot back into our roots. The influence punk and hardcore had on this band from getting our start in the New Orleans punk rock scene has a strong presence. We’ve also made sure to keep plenty of our thrash roots as well in our songwriting process.
"But we have also managed to keep our doom roots alive, which first surfaced on the song ‘(Cadence of) the Dirge’ back in 1992. In fact, on one new song we have guest appearances by Rick Wartell and Bruce Franklin from Trouble, and they absolutely killed it!
"From the time that we began pre-production until the actual release date, we can promise you that every bit of ‘Defectum Omnium’ was crafted with great care, and we are really excited about it! Our goal was to make an album that WE loved and gives the experience of a journey, or maybe even a rollercoaster ride effect. We can’t wait to share it with the world!" More...
Former Cannibal Corpse Joins Exhorder On Stage
New Orleans groove metal pioneers Exhorder were joined for their performance at this past weekend's Maryland Deathfest by former Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O'Brien. You can see fan filmed footage of the performance below. It's currently unknown whether O'Brien has become a permanent replacement for recently departed Exhorder guitarist Marzi Montazeri. More...
Exhorder Parts Ways With Guitarist
New Orleans groove metal pioneers Exhorder has announced that they have parted company with guitarist Marzi Montazeri, who joined in 2017 and performed on the band's comeback album, "Mourn The Southern Skies." A statement from the band reads as follows:
"Some of you may have seen Marzi Montazeri’s announcement yesterday that he no longer wants to be a part of Exhorder.
"First and foremost, we want to thank Marzi for his time and wish him well moving forward. Secondly, we want to clarify that somewhere between the process of writing the new album began and the touring we’ve done since, it became clear to all parties involved that Exhorder and Marzi were moving in different directions. This is a natural course of action that happens every day in the world of creativity. An action plan has been in place since we returned from tour to evolve once again.
"Rehearsals have resumed, and aside from fine tuning, writing for a new album is structurally complete. There are no open auditions at this time, so we thank the many that have inquired about the job opening- but we’ve got this!
"Exhorder is a band that has been dealing with lineup changes since the 80’s, so rest assured there is no doubt that we will continue to thrive. We look forward to bringing the show to the stage once again. There may be a face (or faces) that you recognize moving forward, as well as some other surprises. At the very least, we’re quite sure you’ll enjoy it as much as we currently are!"
Extinction A.D. Premiere New Music Video
Extinction A.D. new EP “Chaos, Collusion, Carnage & Propaganda” is out in stores today. In celebration of its release the band premiere a new music video for one of the EP's songs: Titled “Collusion“ you can stream it via YouTube below.
Extinction A.D. takes part in Exhorder‘s “Slaughter In The Vatican” celebration tour alongside Take Offense and Plague Years. The trek will stop at the below cities: More...
Exhorder Parts Ways With Guitarist
New Orleans groove metal pioneers Exhorder has made the surprising announcement that they have parted company with guitarist Vinnie LaBella, leaving vocalist Kyle Thomas as the sole original member. A statement from the band posted on their official Facebook reads as follows:
"Exhorder and guitarist Vinnie LaBella have mutually agreed to part ways. We wish the best for Vinnie moving forward. Exhorder will continue business as usual, and we are excited to perform our touring and recording obligations for 2020 and beyond. The band can’t wait to see everyone on the “Wings Over the USA” tour featuring Overkill/Exhorder/Hydraform in the upcoming weeks!"
Exhorder released their first album in twenty seven years, "Mourn The Southern Skies" last year through Nuclear Blast to critical acclaim and this week released a new single, "The Man That Never Was," which can be heard below. More...
Exhorder Releases New Single
Just days away from kicking off their US tour with Overkill, thrash metal legends Exhorder have debuted a brand new single, "The Man That Never Was." The groove-laden, face-melter was recorded during the sessions for their recently released record, "Mourn The Southern Skies," their first in nearly 3 decades. Fans can stream the track now! Folk catching them live in the US can also pick-up a limited edition 7” vinyl at the shows, featuring a b-side, live version of "Legions of Death" recorded live from Saint Vitus in New York.
Stream "The Man That Never Was" here
With a crushing, mid-tempo attack and a spitting vocal assault, "The Man That Never Was" gives a nod to Exhorder’s punk and hardcore roots. Once again, the band carries forth their mission as more of an experience than just another metal band. Hoax, conspiracy, hypocrisy, and treason fuel the lyrics into the classic rage that Exhorder set out with in the mid eighties. Even kings and queens have to live in fear…
Exhorder’s new single follows the band’s long-awaited comeback and critically acclaimed 2019 album, "Mourn The Southern Skies," which features standout tracks like 'Hallowed Sound' and 'My Time' and landed the band on the Top 100 in the USA., UK, Germany and Switzerland.
OpEd
Diamond Oz: My Top Five Albums Of 2019
Another year, another welcome barrage of metal albums. After some absolute belters last year from the likes of Judas Priest, Mantar and Primordial, 2019 had a lot to live up to. Fortunately, there were plenty of legends, established artists and fresh faces with new material on offer this year. OK. Obligatory intro out of the way, let's get on with why you'll tell me how wrong I am on Twitter this year...
Best Live Band
Just like last year, I've been a very lucky boy this year in terms of how many bands I've seen. A great live band, in my opinion, is one which can cut it in a large venue as well as a smaller place. Some notable performances this year came from the Graspop Metal Meeting festival in Belgium, where Candlemass, Slayer, Orange Goblin and Discharge, to name but a few, treated fans to unforgettable shows. In fact, I very nearly gave this year's award to Discharge, since they attracted a big number to see them at Graspop, but I've also seen them perform just as sharply in venues the size of bedrooms. However, this year the award goes to...
King Diamond
Anyone who's familiar with the man won't be surprised by this, but finally seeing King Diamond live was a dream come true. Anyone who can get a crowd to go crazy, without playing a note, without saying a word, without even moving, is a born performer. Currently blowing audiences minds in North America, the Danish metal icon opened his set simply by sitting in a chair, before the lights go up and the audiences can be hold the two floor set promoting his new album, "The Institute." The man is sixty three years old and still in phenomenal voice, treating fans to classics and album cuts, King Diamond puts the likes of Alice Cooper and Kiss to shame with his theatrics too. He's still a bucket list artist for many people and I strongly urge everyone to see the King as soon as they can. More...
Exhorder Premiere New Track “Hallowed Sound”
Exhorder premiere another new track from their first new record in 27 years, “Mourn The Southern Skies“. Below you can hear “Hallowed Sound” off of that release that will be released on September 20th via Nuclear Blast Records.
Comments guitarist Vinnie LaBella: More...
Exhorder Premiere New Song "My Time"
New Orleans-based thrash metal veterans Exhorder will release their first record in 27 years, "Mourn The Southern Skies", on September 20 through Nuclear Blast Records. The album's first single, "My Time", has premiered online and can be streamed via YouTube below.
The group now features: More...