UMUR "Branded and Exiled" is the 2nd full-length studio album by German speed/power metal act Running Wild. The album was recorded in August 1985 and released later that same year through Noise International. It´s the successor to "Gates to Purgatory" from 1984 and features one lineup change since the predecessor as guitarist Preacher (real name: Gerald Warnecke) has been replaced by Majk Moti. The former´s stage name was actually pretty suiting as he left to study theology and later became an evangelical priest. The remaining part of the four-piece lineup are intact: Rock 'n' Rolf (real name: Rolf Kasparek) on vocals and guitars, Stephan Boriss on bass, and Hasche (real name: Wolfgang Hagemann) on drums.

Stylistically the music on the 8 track, 35:49 minutes long album continues the raw and hard pounding speed/heavy metal style of "Gates to Purgatory (1984)", but it´s overall a little less savage and speed metal infused than the predecessor. Featuring song titles like "God of Iron", "Marching to Die", and "Chains and Leather", it´s pretty easy to imagine the lyrical content, and you´d be exactly right if you thought the songs evolved around subjects like evil, Tolkien fantasy tales, praise of heavy metal culture, and fighting the establisment. So this is pretty much the epitome of heavy metal from those days.

Running Wild are a well playing act, and you´ll find plenty of powerful guitar riffs, blazing solos, and hard pounding rhythm section, on the album, as well as Rock 'n' Rolf´s raw vocals in front (and the occasional high pitched scream). The album features a powerful and well sounding production too, so upon conclusion "Branded and Exiled" is a quality sophomore studio album by Running Wild. The only thing which is a slight negative about this album, is the lack of an original sound. There´s little here which says to the listener that you´re listening to a Running Wild album. At this point they did what they did well, but they lacked an original sound. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

666sharon666 Branded and Exiled is the second Running Wild album from 1985. This album marks their last one before their pirate themes take over and also the last album of their speed metal period.

This album is essentially more of the same as their first album Gates to Purgatory. Traditional heavy metal/speed metal, a relatively short running time (approx 36 minutes) and quite a raw sound. The only big difference for me when put up next to their debut is that the songs aren't overly as memorable as ones like Prisoner of Our Time and Soldiers of Hell from Gates to Purgatory. I like the title track and Fight the Oppression quite a bit, the real trouble with them is that Running Wild would later re-record both of those songs among others from both this album and the first and it's especially the case with the Branded and Exiled songs that the later versions are much better. The final song Chains and Leather is quite the anthemic track that sounds designed for singing along in the live environment and is a pretty fun track, though like with the majority of this album has been at one point or another the band re-recorded it, though I don't find either version vastly superior in this case. Branded and Exiled is a good album overall, but for me a step backwards for the band. 3.5 stars.