Artist: EXHORDER
Album: SLAUGHTER IN THE VATICAN REMASTERED (DIGI)

Release date: 1990/ 2008
Media type: CD

A re-release of the debut Exhorder album which to this day stand as the embodiment of sheer thrash power and aggression. Due to the controversial cover art (which featured the pope being dragged by an angry mob to be executed by hanging) and lyrical content, the LP was strongly criticized by the Catholic community shortly after it was released. However, the band was far from apologizing for their anti-religious attitude, stating that the message of the album contained much more than a simple mockery of the Catholic church. Apart from the controversial content, the album featured a true feast of insane riffs, pummeling drums and aggressive vocals by Kyle Thomas, who was soon dubbed by the critics “one of the most pissed off voices in thrash”. While the songs weren’t in any way revolutionary, they brought a dose of brutality that most thrash metal bands could only dream about. Tracks such as “Homicide”, “Exhorder” and “Desecrator” attacked the listener with authentic rage, while the slower “Legions of Death” took him back to the past to face the classic Black Sabbath vibe. But perhaps the most significant composition was the controversial tune “Anal Lust” with some of the most vile and nasty lyrics in the history of thrash. The album was produced by Scott Burns, a scene veteran well-known for his work with such acts as Sepultura, Obituary, Death, Cannibal Corpse and Decide. Burns did an outstanding job with “Slaughter in the Vatican”, bringing out the group’s most brutal and aggressive side and enclosing it in a thick and bruising sound.

TRACKLIST:

1. Death In Vain
2. Homicide
3. Desecrator
4. Exhorder
5. The Tragic Period
6. Legions Of Death
7. Anal Lust
8. Slaughter In The Vatican

LINE-UP:

Jay Ceravolo - Guitar, Producer
Vinnie LaBella - Guitar, Producer
Chris Nail - drums, Producer
Kyle Thomas - vocals, Producer

Credits:
Scott Burns - Producer, Engineer, Mixing
Kurt Coste - Photography
Mike Fuller - Mastering
Kent Mathieu - Artwork, Illustrations