Review EXUMER “Death Mask Messiah”

Exumer got off to a strong start in the mid-’80s with Possessed by Fire. The title track in particular has become a classic when it comes to thrash metal. With their second album, Rising from the Sea, Mem von Stein and his bandmates scored another hit before things went quiet for the band. Exumer called it quits in 1991, and it took 17 years before the pieces came back together.

Mem von Stein and Ray Mensh form the backbone of an otherwise newly assembled lineup. What followed were three straight-up thrash metal records, and now the guys are back with Death Mask Messiah.

Ten new songs and a Nasty Savage cover make it clear that Exumer haven’t lost any of their firepower. What you can expect from this album is powerful, furious old-school thrash metal. But Exumer never sound stuck in the past. Instead, they deliver a punchy and dynamic production that gives the songs plenty of weight. You can hear that right from the opener. “Death Mask Messiah” sets the course for the album, and it quickly becomes apparent that the blade of thrash metal is still razor-sharp.

“Blinding Skies” proves that the opener is no one-off. Exumer deliver thrash metal that hits hard and keeps moving forward. The songs come blasting out of the speakers with the force of a sledgehammer, and standing still is really not an option. Whether it’s the grooving “Eradication” or the lightning-fast “Allocated Savagery,” Exumer remain convincing from start to finish.

The guys also have a real neck-breaker on the album. “Serpent,” with a slight Exodus flavor, points straight back to the band’s roots. At the same time, Exumer have developed their own musical identity over the years, and that character runs consistently through the entire album.

Death Mask Messiah offers no real breather. One hard-hitting thrash track follows another, including the well-crafted “Scorcher,” with its gang-shout moments and furious solo section. There’s plenty of energy here, and the album rarely gives you a chance to catch your breath—assuming you were planning to, of course.

“Frozen Ground” rounds out the new material in fine fashion before the band closes things out with a well-executed cover of Nasty Savage’s “Unchained Angel.”

Death Mask Messiah reinforces what Exumer have been showing since their return: the band still knows exactly how to make old-school thrash metal hit with plenty of force. This is the strongest album of their second era and a record that should give the thrash metal scene another good shake.