Exhorder touring Europe this summer

Thrash/groove metal pioneers Exhorder will be touring across Europe this summer. Known for their ferocious live performances and foundational influence on groove metal, the band will bring their explosive energy and relentless sound to fans across in Europe. The tour follows their critically acclaimed 2024 album Defectum Omnium, hailed as a crushing return to form that blends classic aggression with modern heaviness. Featuring founding vocalist Kyle Thomas, the line-up continues to push boundaries while honouring their legacy as one of New Orleans’ heaviest exports.

Kyle Thomas commented:

"We’re looking forward to our first festival season with Pat O’Brien in tow! We will also play some headlining club dates, so let’s hang out! Apologies to the Duisburg fans, as the show on August 6 has been moved to Bochum at Die Trompete. We hope to see as many of you good folks as possible."

EXHORDER SUMMER TOUR 2025

31-Jul RO - Rasnovm, Rockstad Extremefest

02-Aug DE - Wacken, Wacken Open Air

04-Aug DE - Stuttgart, Schwarzer Keiler

06-Aug DE - Bochum, Die Trompete

07-Aug BR - Kortrijk, Alcatraz

08-Aug DE - Burdlengenfeld, Vaz

09-Aug CZ - Jaromer, Brutal Assault

10-Aug DE - Munich, Backstage

12-Aug HU - Budapest, Barba Negra

13-Aug AT - Vienna, Viper Room

14-Aug CH - Lucerne, Sedel

15-Aug DE - Weinheim, Cafe Central

17-Aug FR - Carhaix, Motocultor

Sonically unrelenting, Exhorder's latest record, Defectum Omnium, revisits the band’s early influences of punk, hardcore and thrash, with 12 merciless tracks that sound as vital as when they first carved their groove in metal in 1985. Featuring crushing songs like ‘Year of the Goat’ and ‘Forever and Beyond Despair’ and ominous cover artwork by Travis Smith (Katatonia, Opeth), Defectum Ominum finds Exhorder at the top of their game with one of the year’s most vicious records.

Thomas said of the new record:

“It’s been quite a journey for Exhorder since the 2019 release of Mourn the Southern Skies. Lineup changes as well as the 2020-2021 pandemic and lockdown presented hurdles that weren’t easy to overcome. But we persevered, kept our heads down and went to work with intense focus and real goals. One of those goals was to bring our fourth full length album to our fan base. Defectum Omnium is a collaborative effort in songwriting, much as it was in the early days of Exhorder. We produced it ourselves, as we felt no need or desire to bring in anyone from the outside based upon our shared vision. It was also important to us not only to continue the natural progression this band has been in since the early 90’s, but to put a foot back into our roots. The influence punk and hardcore had on this band from getting our start in the New Orleans punk rock scene has a strong presence. We’ve also made sure to keep plenty of our thrash roots as well in our songwriting process. But we have also managed to keep our doom roots alive, which first surfaced on the song (Cadence of) the Dirge back in 1992. In fact, on one new song we have guest appearances by Rick Wartell and Bruce Franklin from Trouble, and they absolutely killed it!

From the time that we began pre-production until the actual release date, we can promise you that every bit of Defectum Omnium was crafted with great care, and we are really excited about it! Our goal was to make an album that WE loved and gives the experience of a journey.”

About EXHORDER:

Formed in 1986, EXHORDER’s journey has proven exciting, yet tumultuous. After a twenty-seven-year absence following their final Roadrunner Records release in 1992, EXHORDER re-entered the game with an album considered by many to be a contender for the "Best Comeback Album" category. The band released Mourn the Southern Skies in October of 2019 through Nuclear Blast Records. Fraught with euphoric peaks and crippling valleys throughout its existence, lineup changes, and the 2020-2021 pandemic, EXHORDER has since clawed back through the muck to prepare yet another album to add to the discography. In the spring of 2024, EXHORDER presented their fourth full-length recording, Defectum Omnium, the Latin phrase for "The Failure of All".

Produced by EXHORDER and mixed by Jens Bogren, Defectum Omnium puts a foot back into the roots of the band's inception. The scales have tipped favorably towards the presence of punk and thrash more so than on Mourn the Southern Skies. Tracks like ‘Wrath of Prophecies’, ‘Forever and Beyond Despair’, and ‘Sedition’ are what EXHORDER comes by most honestly when referring to their beginnings. There is also a strong presence of doom influence, as always. ‘The Tale of Unsound Minds’ and the haunting ‘Defectum Omnium/Stolen Hope’ will raise utter despair from the depths of your soul. The thick New Orleans grooves EXHORDER has been known for beating out since day one are still undeniable, and they stand out in tracks like ‘Year of the Goat’, ‘Under the Gaslight’, and ‘Three Stages of Truth/Lacing the Well’.