Exhorder is a heavy metal band from New Orleans, Louisiana, known for pioneering the groove-oriented thrash sound that influenced groups like Pantera and Machine Head. A key force in shaping the New Orleans metal scene, Exhorder originally formed in 1985, split in the mid nineties, and later reunited. Their notable albums include Slaughter in the Vatican, The Law, Mourn the Southern Skies, and Defectum Omnium.