lista zespołów Thrash Metal Exile (JOR) Metal Asia

Exile is a young Thrash Metal trio, from the large metropolis of Amman, Jordan. Each band member has experience with other Metal bands in the area. Nader (guitars, vocals) and Ibrahim (bass) are both former members of Dragonrider. Mahmod (drums) is currently active with SoulBleed. They named the band Exile after the multitude of Palestinian refugees who were expelled from Gaza, in the aftermath of the the Arab-Israeli conflict of 1948. The band members themselves are not allowed to visit Gaza.

So instead of strapping on the Fallujah fanny packs, they vent their anger through their music, and especially within the lyrical content. For instance, Killing Storm, is about the violence of the Israeli army in Gaza. The other track, Living Hell, takes the theme of everyday life in the terror plagued region. Consisting of just 2 tracks, Metal Asia, is a condensed version of their 2009 demo album. They want us to take a closer look at these songs, while they are working on their new release.

They thrash at a medium tempo, with choppy melodies, and rift shifting that parallels those that were done by early Testament. At the same time, it's delivered with a sound that is nearly as dirty, and raw as early Sodom. The guitar solos whine and wail in the typical fashion of early Slayer. Some of the bass rhythms seem to be plucked with an Iron Maiden influence. Although the bass does play a groovy melody at the beginning of Living Hell. The drumming doesn't grab my attention or sound very flashy. This might be partly due to some recording or mixing factors. It does sound adequate, but for a 3 piece band to be signed, each instrument has to be outstanding. Nader's vocal style is grim, sounding similar to Darren Travis of Sadus, but without the berserk screaming of the seasoned professional.

Exile sounds like a retro band of 1980's Thrash Metal. The music seems to be structured with a balance between styles of accessible Bay Area Thrash and the coarseness of early German Thrash. I listened to Metal Asia many times and then albums from the aforementioned prototypes, for a comparison. The main difference is that those professional bands play their music with more zealous energy and a marked superiority in their instrumentation.

So exile can step up to the next level, by playing more intensely, with songs that showcase their musical expertise. They need incendiary guitar solos, that light up the music like a fireworks display. They should exchange the NWOBHM bass style, with barbaric bass music that drive the songs through, with full throttled ferocity. The drum playing needs to show off every component of the drum set, with melodic beat patterns, at a sweat soaking speed. Look at the success that early Sepultura, had with the drum playing of Igor Cavalera.

Another way to attract interest in this band, would be to improve the vocal presentations. Nothing fancy is needed, since this isn't fancy music. Varying levels of vocal exaggeration could be used to emphasize the emotions of these lyrical stories, about anger and hatred. Blood curdling screams would fit in nicely, just before some violently bad ass guitar solos.

Although it doesn't demonstrate any new material, Metal Asia isn't a bad demo for a young band, it's mediocre. As Thrash artists, they are sitting on a goldmine of inspiration to write hostile thrash songs. They are currently working on their next release. So I'm expecting to hear something really good, with a lot of new songs.