Exciter (band)

Did You Know?

• Exciter's music has been influenced by AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Grand Funk Railroad, Iron Maiden, Jethro Tull, Judas Priest, Motörhead, Rush and Scorpions.
• Some publications such as Loudwire consider Exciter among the greatest heavy metal acts to come out of Canada.
• Their first two albums were highly influential on the thrash movement.

History

In 1978, the band Hell Razor formed in Ottawa, Ontario, with vocalist and drummer Dan Beehler, guitarist John Ricci, and bassist Allan James Johnson. In 1980, they changed their name to Exciter and recorded a demo, sending it to Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records. Varney included the song "World War III" on the compilation US Metal Volume II in 1982, and the band soon signed to Shrapnel. Their debut album, Heavy Metal Maniac, was released in 1983. The following year, Exciter signed with Jon Zazula's Megaforce Records, releasing their second album, Violence & Force. After headlining dates with Anthrax, they toured the U.S. opening for Motörhead with Mercyful Fate. Megaforce sold its contract, forcing Exciter to switch to Music for Nations. They traveled to London for a cancelled tour, then recorded their third album, Long Live the Loud, released in 1985 and produced by Guy Bidmead. The album had a more mainstream sound than earlier work. A European tour with Accept followed. At the end of 1984, Exciter supported Motörhead on a U.S. leg of the No Remorse Tour; in 1985, they headlined a tour with Megadeth and Exodus. That year, they released the EP Feel the Knife, the last release with the original lineup. John Ricci then left and was replaced by Brian McPhee. The band's fourth album, Unveiling the Wicked, came out in 1986 on Music for Nations, followed by a European tour with Motörhead and Manowar. Dan Beehler stopped singing, and new vocalist Rob Malnati debuted on the self-titled album (also known as O.T.T.), released in 1988 through Maze Music. A Canadian tour ensued, but by early 1989 the band had broken up.