Pioneering Canadian thrashers EXCITER have parted ways with bassist Rob "Clammy" Cohen "due to differences (both personal and business) regarding the future of the band." The remaining members of EXCITER Rik Charron (drums) and Kenny Winter (vocals) say in a statement: "We ARE NOT disbanding but we will be taking some time to regroup. "We apologize to all of our fans for the confusion during this recent turmoil. Rest assured that EXCITER will return to smash and thrash for all you heavy metal maniacs worldwide. "We'll see you on the road." Guitarist John Ricci in February announced his departure from EXCITER an decision to retire from the music business. As one of the founding members of the band, John was a driving force behind EXCITER's genre-defining albums including the groundbreaking "Heavy Metal Maniac" (1983), "Violence And Force" (1984), and "Long Live the Loud" (1985). As part of the modern era of EXCITER, his unique, manic, style propelled EXCITER's comeback album "The Dark Command" (1996) along with "Blood Of Tyrants" (2000), "Thrash Speed Burn" (2008) and "Death Machine" (2010). EXCITER's latest album, "Death Machine", was released on October 29, 2010 via Massacre Records. The effort was made available as a standard CD, a digipak and a limited-edition (500 copies) gatefold LP. In an interview with Music Legends, Ricci stated about the making of the "Death Machine" CD: "The recording sessions for "Death Machine" were a little disjointed. We recorded all the instruments at different times because of scheduling conflicts and also the fact our singer, Kenny, lives in New York City, therefore it wasn't one smooth recording session. Kenny arrived to record vocals after all the music was done and he sang the songs for the very first time without really hearing the songs previously. Nevertheless, the album turned out good. Because we were trying to meet the deadline to complete the record, I think we rushed the mixing process as well. All in all, no matter what we do or what gear we use, we always get this raw garage or 'very analog' sound." When asked where he finds the inspiration to write music, John replied, "EXCITER's inspirations to write music comes from everyday news events, mostly of violent topics. Killings, murders, etc. We live in such a sick world, with senseless killings and unprovoked violence. The lyrics I write do not glamorize violence but condone it. Of course, some song topics include witches and Satan, but these topics are strictly fantasy. For example, if you watch a horror movie, it's not for real only make-believe. The instrumental part of EXCITER's music is always from an angry point of view. As far as I'm concerned, metal has to be played with aggression and simple power chords to get the message across to the listener. This has been the EXCITER formula for over 30 years."
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