Exa - 2024 - Left in Shards

(36:47; Exa)






















Track list:
1. Return to Madness 3:44
2. Under His Eye 3:27
3. Dead Child Eyes 4:48
4. Hire to Fire 4:50
5. Mind Free 3:18
6. Left in Shards 4:38
7. Witch Hunt 3:12
8. Cease to Exist 4:07
9. Circadian 0:51
10. King Terror 3:52

Line-up:
Leon - drums
Tom - vocals, guitars
Tamino - bass
Hans - guitars


German band Exa have been around for a decade or thereabouts at this point, with the band being formed while the members were still fairly young from what I understand. They released their initial debut EP back in 2018, and have released a few singles and one full length album following this. At the start of 2024 they were ready with their second studio album, "Left in Shards", which was self released by the band.

While this is a recent band formation with fairly young members, this is a band that appear to know their way around music from yesteryear. Thrash metal being the name of the game here, and the description classic era is a bit of a defining one to use for the material we get on this production.

This is one of those albums were the thrash metal connoisseurs will have a field day in pointing out references of many kinds I imagine. We get chugging riff cascades with flow as well as with impact riff and rhythm details included, with rather more of the latter than the former. More staccato constructions with a liberal use of impact riffs are present and accounted for too, and occasionally this foursome will make use of circulating and galloping riff patterns too. Sometimes with songs emphasizing flow, on others with impact moments being defining, occasionally with a more technical or a more contemporary inspired sound and execution.

Everything is tight and vibrant though, with enough grit present to form a natural tension, especially due to the vocals supplying contrast, and there is ample amount of variation from one song to the next too. Not that the individual songs are markedly different from one another, but they do differ on a more subtle level. Which makes for a uniform but also a multifaceted experience. With the concluding composition 'King Terror' also showcasing a band that appear to have even more expressive ideas in their arsenal that may possibly be explored a bit more on a later occasion - time will have to tell.

This isn't an album that will break or breach any boundaries I suspect, but for those who love and treasure thrash metal as it was explored when this genre and style was still rather fresh out of the gates, this is a production that will get the feet tapping and the head banging. An album that will give you a good time, performed by a skilled band that are accomplished at creating new and suitably compelling sounds in the old school thrash metal tradition.

Olav M. Björnsen, November 2024

Links:
https://exa-band.jimdofree.com/

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