Exposure – Atonement (Recommendation)

As an avowed fan of the two Mannheim-based bands Spark and Persecution Mania, I became aware of the debut album of a band whose members are partly represented in the aforementioned combos. I’m talking about Exposure and their new and also first album Atonement, which is another proof of the quality of this local scene. This project gives you a massive mixture of Cleveland-styled Hardcore and mangy Swedish Punk, which should appeal to fans of Integrity and Anti Cimex equally, and which I have been enjoying constantly ever since.

From the first second on, Exposure whirls up dust with its dirty sound, which only stops after the record is finished. From dull drums to foul voice and deep riffing, interspersed with distinctive, metallic melodies, this band delivers the full range of sounds you would expect from a metal punk/hardcore hybrid. Especially the song “Lament” invites you to let your excess energy run free and to stomp around at home. But I have no doubt that they will also make a bruise or two live, as soon as this is possible again. The production is just as well done as the music itself and neither instruments nor vocals seem to be too soft or too raw to let the highlights get lost. The songwriting doesn’t hold any big surprises, though, but you shouldn’t expect that with this genre. But therefore the proportions between crusty metal punk and nasty hardcore are very well balanced and they always try to turn the songs into smashers.

Digitally, Atonement has already been released in full and the pre-order for the LP has also started via Street Survival Records, where fans will have to wait a little longer to finally be able to play the vinyl. For lovers of Swedish 80’s punk and cold street sound it’s definitely worth waiting. The limited, physical version is a good choice, because when hesitating and missing one, you will be annoyed later due to the quality of the music. Besides Persecution Mania mentioned at the beginning, Exposure is one of the best bands from this corner and the Atonement LP is certainly one of my favourite German releases of the genre this year. If you like to stomp and mosh while roaring out your uurgh, this album will definitely give you a lot of pleasure. This stuff is really filthy and bitter evil and exactly what you need to hear in 2020!

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