Exhorder to bring their thrash-groove legacy to Vicksburg with May 1 Watermark show

VICKSBURG, Miss. by Don Hill (VDN) — New Orleans thrash-groove legends Exhorder will make their Vicksburg debut Thursday night, May 1, with a show at The Watermark Vicksburg, supported by Vicksburg’s own Plagueburner and Jackson-area bands Die With Nature and Measureless Aeons.

Fresh off a 14-date European tour, Exhorder will open for Houma, Louisiana’s own sludge-metal kings, Acid Bath, tonight in a sold-out show at The Fillmore in New Orleans.

Hailing from NOLA, Exhorder is considered a progenitor of the thrash-groove sound, releasing a handful of demos and two full-length albums between 1985 and their breakup in 1994 that left an undeniable imprint on the metal scene. After a brief resurgence from 2008 to 2011, the band reformed again in 2017, releasing two additional full-length albums and touring extensively in support of the new material.

The current lineup consists of Kyle Thomas (vocals and rhythm guitar), Jason VieBrooks (bass), Sasha Horn (drums) and former Cannibal Corpse guitarist Pat O’Brien (lead guitar).

Josh Harrison, drummer for Plagueburner and organizer of Thursday night’s show, said the show is a definite milestone for Vicksburg’s heavy music scene.

“Exhorder coming to Vicksburg is the biggest thing to ever happen for the heavy music scene in Vicksburg,” Harrison said. “Forty years of thrash with crushing guitars and drums — they are probably the biggest influence on the New Orleans metal scene and sound. Whether or not you’re a fan of metal, this is a historic event for Vicksburg’s and the surrounding area’s underground music scene.”

Harrison also gave a big shoutout to the local support, working behind the scenes to make a show like this happen, especially Green Wellness 420 cannabis dispensary for sponsoring the event.

“They’ve had our back before, and we’re just really thankful they believe in what we’re trying to build here,” Harrison said.

He also thanked Amber Morton and Daryl Hollingsworth, owners of The Watermark Vicksburg, for opening up their venue, members of Døwnhill for connecting them to the venue, and Extremity Retained Booking for helping lock in the show.

“Most of all, we owe it to the people who actually show up,” Harrison said. “If it wasn’t for the people coming and showing us support, we would not even attempt putting on a show like this. Thanks to the rest of Plagueburner for coming together to make sure we can pull this off.”

Tickets can be purchased in advance for $15 online or for $20 at the door.

This is an all-ages show. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the show starts at 7:30 p.m. at The Watermark Vicksburg, 1415 Washington St., in downtown Vicksburg.