Thrash icons Exodus still pack a decent punch on turbulent 12th album Goliath.
Arguably the true progenitors of American thrash metal, it’s been a frustrating, fragmented four-and-a-half decades for Exodus. At one point, it felt like the Bay Area bad boys would be more famous for the members lost to other bands – Kirk Hammett to Metallica a couple of years in, and then loaning Gary Holt to Slayer much later on – than for accomplishments of their own.
Then, after capitalising on ‘veteran’ status during the mid-’00s thrash revival, that era’s lovably abrasive frontman Rob Dukes jumped ship and they started over – again. Reuniting with Rob another decade down the line, 12th album Goliath seems to acknowledge their long, scrappy journey to this point, less interested in sheer speed than maximum impact.
Big and clever are not on the menu. There are devilish Slayer vibes but little substance on snarling opener 3111, a song about narco killings which could have been titled as a target for how many headbangs to hit in its 249-second stretch. The Changing Me opens with a gleaming riff, but rapidly descends into unashamed chuggery. Promise You This feels like a joyously heavy hoedown. Even the Latin title on Hostis Humani Generis (Enemy Of All Mankind) is a front for adolescent battle-cries, ‘Go on a tear / without a care!’
That’s not really a criticism, of course. It’s not unusual at festival shows to see fans gleefully chanting ‘EXO-DUMB’ while butting heads in the pit, and as soundtracks for wasting brain cells, the cranium-scooping smash of 2 Minutes Hate or Violence Works’ weirdly jaunty rhythms could hardly be more effective.
Alongside the gut-churning title-track, Summon Of The God Unknown does feel like something of an atmospheric horror detour into. But then they rattle home with perplexingly-named tenth track The Dirtiest Of The Dozen in a storm of clenched fists and melted frets. Not at the sharpest bit of the cutting edge, then, but these are fine songs to do yourself a damage to, equal parts cracked neck and shit-eating grin.
Verdict: 3/5
For fans of: Testament, Municipal Waste, Slayer
Goliath is released on March 20 via Napalm.
