From the dead ends of Los Angeles, EXCEL has been delivering maximum crossover since crossover first crossed over. Their classic albums “Split Image” (1987) and “The Joke’s On You” (1989) remain linchpins of the genre decades after their release. The band continues to pack venues across the globe and appear at European festivals. On July 19th, fans will have a chance to hear EXCEL’s long-lost album, “Seeking Refuge.” The album delves into themes of self-evolution, authenticity, self-worth, and overcoming personal challenges, and today, we’re super excited to present a special track-by-track commentary provided by the band. Check it out after the scroll.
It explores the importance of pushing forward despite loneliness, embodying one’s true self, and the inevitability of change. The tracks collectively emphasize love, respect, self-forgiveness, and the art of letting go while encouraging a broader perspective on life’s challenges.
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Originally released in 1995 while grunge dominated airwaves and MTV, “Seeking Refuge” offers a glimpse at an EXCEL many have never heard before. Out of print for decades, “Seeking Refuge” will finally get its due, complete with a guest shot from H.R. of BAD BRAINS (on “Take Your Part Gotta Encourage”) and a video starring Tony Alva for the anthemic single “Unenslaved.”
Bassist Shaun Ross explains, “A lot of people who know EXCEL don’t necessarily know about this record. It’s been out of print since ’95, and it was just kind of forgotten.”
At the time that “Seeking Refuge” was recorded, Ross was working for Fuct streetwear and living in their warehouse. “One of the owners had a friend who knew H.R. from BAD BRAINS, and they just dropped him off at the studio,” Ross recalls. “He ended up living with me for the better part of the year in the Fuct warehouse. It was a crazy time.” As a result of H.R.’s appearance on “Seeking Refuge,” Dan and Shaun would soon witness firsthand the reunification of BAD BRAINS.
Blending into their eclectic thrash, EXCEL incorporates elements of rock, funk, and grunge on tracks like “Plastic Cracks” and “Drowned Out.” For the lead single “Unenslaved,” they hit a hallowed Dogtown landmark to shoot a video starring skate pioneer Tony Alva. They re-emptied the Gonzales Pool, a.k.a. Gonzo Pool, where some of Alva’s most famous moments had been captured in the movie “Thrasher.”
Produced by Ron Champagne (JANE’S ADDICTION, ALICE IN CHAINS), “Seeking Refuge” didn’t fit into any of heavy music’s prefab categories circa ’95. “We didn’t get a great response,” Ross recalls. “Between ’90 and ’95, the market for thrash and even punk kinda died with grunge becoming so popular. And we didn’t use our original logo, which in retrospect was a big deal because it didn’t look like an EXCEL record. We fixed that for the reissue.”
In late 2023, Ross and Clements welcomed two new members to the EXCEL family: Greg Cerwonka of Chula Vista thrashers TAKE OFFENSE will take over on guitar, while Damon DeLaPaz of pop punk vets FENIX TX will handle drums. “We’ve already started writing,” Ross enthuses. “The goal is to record in 2024 and have a new album out by 2025.”
EXCEL’s “Seeking Refuge” was reissued by Southern Lord for Record Store Day 2024 and sold out. It will now be available on red vinyl and on all digital platforms via Southern Lord, Southern Lord EU, and Bandcamp.
The essence of “Seeking Refuge” reflects themes of self-belief, authenticity, and overcoming personal challenges.
Today, we’re super excited to present a special track-by-track commentary provided by the band. Check it out after the scroll.
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In December of 2023 original members Shaun Ross and Dan Clements made the decision to switch up the line up by acquiring guitarist Greg Cerwonka and drummer Damon Da La Paz for not only their live showmanship but also for the important understanding of chemistry in writing and delivering a host of new material for a new EXCEL album that Shaun and Dan have waited on doing for when the time was right. And that time has come.
The new lineup debuted itself on April 20 for 2 shows on “Record Store Day” one day time set at Vinyl Junkies in San Diego for the celebration and reissuing of EXCEL’s 1995 album SEEKING REFUGE , the bands 3rd album that had been out of circulation and considered “lost” since the mid 90’s and an evening set at San Diego’s The Tower Bar.
The two sets in one day fully put in gear the power grinding hardcore philosophy that EXCEL has always been about which then led up to 3 blistering live appearances.
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The first in Copenhagen Denmark for the Copenhell Festival on June 19. “It was Excel’s very first European festival appearance, which was truly an honor to be apart of.” – says Daniel Clements.
“Immediately after our set we returned to California for the second of three at the Observatory in Santa Ana on June 22 to a sold out raging Southern California crowd then again return to Europe for Pitfest in Emmen Netherlands on July 5th in front of a killer audience, some who had seen us originally in 1989 when Excel did its first European tour.” – comments Daniel Clements.
“Every single time we hit the stage validated our intentions. This was no doubt a successful beginning and understanding of what’s to come but most importantly confirming that WE⚡️ARE⚡️EXCEL⚡”
Track by track commentary, by Daniel Clements:
Unenslaved
The song and the video symbolically represents believing in yourself especially when your inner voice tells you to evolve and continue pushing forward no matter how lonely it may get. Freeing oneself from the trappings of redundancy.
Hair Like Christ
Not a song about religion or ideology but a reference to if you dress the part you must act the part.
Plastic Cracks
The only thing that is real is what you feel inside. Everything else is a manipulation tactic generated by the institutions who fear self awareness.
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Take your part, gotta encourage
A collective understanding that the universe works with you not against you. But one must be aware that there are forces that want you to feel lesser than you are only to extinguish the light that guides us all to do good things
Drowned Out
This song is about forgiveness to oneself , learning from the experiences, doing everything possible to quiet the mind and voices in ones head to not re live over and over the mistakes of the past and rising above
U.N.I.T.Y ( United Naturally In True Youth )
The title was inspired by a message that HR wrote on a Human Rights (HR solo album ) cover that I asked him to sign . It’s about love and respect
Riptide
The quest for permanence is the ultimate suffering. When not making changes , the universe will make them for you regardless how hard you try to hang on , which can make one feel cursed in order to maintain permanence….but in actuality it is a blessing. The art of letting go
Overview
Sometimes poison can seep into your existence. Contaminating all that is sacred,corrosive thoughts as a result of hurtful experiences Not to over trust. Not to over idolize. Not to over think but to learn from the perspective of the overview.
Downpressor
Is about saying good bye to the old ways of coping with a hurtful past. An exorcism of negative thoughts and understanding the source to where it came from .
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