Metal Underground.com

On their self-titled 1988 album (sometimes referred to as "O.T.T." after one of its songs), speed/thrash pioneers Exciter were in the midst of an experimental period, in which they experimented with more melodic songs. A new singer, Rob Malnati was brought on board, and the warp-speed guitars were slowed considerably. The effect was essentially to turn away from their early "Kill 'Em All"-esque sound, and toward something that's undeniably reminiscent of Judas Priest — a little too reminiscent when heard all these years later.

Malnati's shrieks on the opener, "Scream Bloody Murder" are vintage Halford, with a dose of vintage '80s metal misogyny ("scream bloody murder as my love enters you"). It's a kind of dark, evil take on Priest's "Eat Me Alive."

The speedy "Back In The Light" also has a Priest vibe, with Malnati offering up a vocal performance that's reminiscent of Halford's mid-range. The real star on this track — the best one on the album — is guitarist Brian McPhee, whose riffs and solos keep things interesting.

Unfortunately, the album is populated by far too many generic mid-tempo rockers like "Ready To Rock," "I Wanna Be King" and "Dying To Live." It's by-the-numbers '80s metal, with an opening solo and shout-and-respond choruses. The band does far better on the speedier tunes, including "Playin' With Fire," "O.T.T." and especially "Enemy Lines," which recall the rawness of Exciter's earlier material.

The 1995 re-release of the album (and a subsequent 2005 one) feature "Termination," a slow instrumental that, while a decent enough showcase for McPhee and drummer Dan Beehler, doesn't really add much at all to the proceedings.

Malnati would leave Exciter after this album, with Beehler returning to his post as lead vocalist. The band's been through countless changes since then, with only one original member in the current incarnation — and he doesn't play on this album!

Ultimately, other than the curiosity factor of hearing the first of quite a few new voices in Exciter, there's not much other than some solid musicianship to recommend this self-titled album. It's largely by-the-numbers metal in the Priest mold, which isn't terrible — but hardly packs the punch of the band's earliest material.