Remember crossover thrash? Remember Malicious Vinyl Records? Well, Excel is back with the final of their album reissues. Originally released in 1995 after a six-year hiatus on Malicious Vinyl, a hard rock subsidiary of hip-hop label Delicious Vinyl, with distribution by Capitol Records, this album has been remastered with new, better cover art and a chance to reevaluate a band that has largely been forgotten and best remembered for their original guitarist, Adam Siegel, also known for his work with Infectious Grooves.

By 1995, the band had undergone a major shift as Siegel and drummer Greg Saenz had departed to form the alt rock band My Head. The band had also left Caroline Records and struggled to find a new deal before Malicious came around. Featuring bands like Slo Burn, Masters Of Reality and a then-unknown Lit, Malicious was a small label, ensuring the stakes weren’t high and allowing the band to take their time making this record. Six years had passed since their last disc and crossover thrash wasn’t in vogue anymore so the band shifted their style. Opening track “Unenslaved” is a nice kick in the ass with some skater thrash tones, a bit like Fu Manchu. “Hair Like Christ” has a nice crunch to it and feels more alternative than metal while remaining super heavy in the process. Guitarist Brandon Rudley was definitely more than capable of filling Siegel’s shoes and making this band something interesting.

“Take Your Part Gotta Encourage” is one of the heaviest and best tracks here and features a stunning appearance from H.R. of Bad Brains. Sounding more alive and alert than he did on God of Love, he brings the track to full life and makes it one of the band’s best tracks. Unfortunately, not every track is a winner. “Drowned Out” meanders and doesn’t go anywhere. On “Overview,” vocalist Dan Clements gives me even more Fu Manchu vibes and I am here for it. This track is a slow burn, but it rocks. “United Naturally in True Youth” has a slow, not quite stoner vibe to it but putters along well and has a great riff.

Overall about half the record is killer and the other half is meandering. In its initial release, the album flopped, and with the death of guitarist Rudley from an aneurysm in 2000, the band splintered. They have since reunited without any new studio material, but this is an interesting period in the band’s career that should be rediscovered for the great tracks contained within.

Rating: B

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