The Exploited are one of the U.K.'s most politically outspoken thrash bands. Based in Edinburgh, the band is led by vocalist Wattie Buchan, whose supporting cast has changed several times since the group's inception around the end of the '70s. The band has garnered a sizable hardcore audience in the U.K. for its anti-authoritarian stance and criticism of the government, particularly in the Reagan/Thatcher era, but their following is not quite as large in the U.S. and has declined somewhat in Britain over the years. A medley of three of their songs, recorded by Slayer and Ice-T, was featured on the Judgment Night soundtrack as "Disorder"; subsequently, the Exploited issued 1994's Live in Japan and 1996's Beat the Bastards. Fuck the System followed in 2002.~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
They started out as an Oi! band, before transforming into a faster street punk and hardcore punk band. From about 1987 on (around the time of Death Before Dishonour) they changed into a crossover thrash band. Formed in Edinburgh by ex-soldier Wattie Buchan, they signed to Secret Records in March 1981 and released their debut EP Army Life. The album Punks Not Dead followed in the same year. Despite many lineup changes, the band continued into the 2000s and has developed a worldwide following. The band are currently writing material for a new album.[1]
