Exciter's first album
Heavy Metal Maniac had shown enough promise to secure them a deal with
Jon Zazula's fast-emerging Megaforce Records. But when they completed 1984's
Violence & Force, the results were somewhat below expectations, and the band sounded as if they were trying to emulate fellow Canadian's Anvil. Produced by
Carl Canedy, who had just worked on
Anthrax's debut
Fistful of Metal, the album simply lacked the raw aggression and
Judas Priest meets punk rock attitude of its predecessor. Except for the album's solid title track and the anthemic "Swords of Darkness," most of
Violence and Force sounds rushed and uninspired -- particularly tracks like "Pounding Metal" and "War is Hell," which have only gotten worse with age. Thankfully, the band would bounce back the following year with what many consider their best effort
Long Live the Loud.
