The Exiles Turning Tme Reissue Review
The Exiles
Turning Time Reissue
Bad Reputation Records
2026
French label Bad Reputation Records continues to give Rock Candy Records a serious run for its money when it comes to uncovering forgotten Hard Rock gems. Their latest rescue mission is a reworked and reimagined edition of “Turning Time”, originally released by The Exiles in 1996.
If the name doesn't ring a bell, The Exiles featured Sean Manning (Quiet Riot, Hurricane), Paul Rafferty (Bonham), Paul Andrew Stanley, and drummer Terry Mascall, with former White Lion sticksman Greg D'Angelo making a guest appearance on one track.
Musically, the band lands somewhere between bluesy Hard Rock and the late-'80s Sunset Strip sound. I wouldn't necessarily call it Sleaze Rock, but if you're into bands like Tangier, Tattoo Rodeo, or Tora Tora, you're already in the right neighborhood.
Honestly, I'm surprised this one escaped me. This style of music has always been my home turf. Then again, the mid-'90s wasn't exactly kind to bands carrying the Hard Rock torch. If you weren't backed by a major label or enjoying MTV exposure, chances are your record disappeared before most fans even knew it existed. According to the press sheet, The Exiles primarily worked the Southern California club circuit, so it's no surprise they remained something of a hidden treasure.
Thankfully, Bad Reputation Records has given this album the second chance it always deserved.
Since I'd never heard the original 1996 version, I can't offer a track-by-track comparison, but I can tell where some of the bonus material received later attention. It's hardly distracting though, if anything, it adds another layer to the story behind the album.
The most important thing is that the songs deliver, and they absolutely do. Every track earns its place. This is the kind of Hard Rock that reminds me why I fell in love with the genre in the first place. It feels timeless. Had “Turning Time” landed in 1989 instead of 1996, I have no doubt it would've fit comfortably alongside releases from Cinderella, Tangier, Tora Tora, or any number of blues-soaked Hard Rock bands dominating the scene at the time. Give The Exiles a proper support slot on one of those tours, and I think they'd have turned plenty of heads. Instead, they became another casualty of the musical shift that steamrolled so many great Hard Rock bands during the '90s. Yeah...I'm still bitter about it.
The good news is that labels like Bad Reputation Records refuse to let these records disappear into obscurity. They keep digging through the crates, giving longtime fans a chance to rediscover albums that deserved far better than they got the first time around. For those of us who still believe melody, big riffs, soulful vocals, and a killer guitar solo never went out of style, releases like this are worth celebrating.
Standout tunes include "Rainmaker," featuring Greg D'Angelo behind the kit, along with "Woman Let It Shine," "Friend," and "Travelling Blues." Each one captures the spirit of an era when Hard Rock was built on hooks, swagger, and heart instead of gimmicks.
If late '80s Hard Rock is your happy place, don't let this one slip by a second time. “Turning Time” is an easy recommendation and another impressive reissue from Bad Reputation Records.