I know I’m extremely biased in this review, this album I waited for, for over a
year. After their last effort, Exhibit A, in my opinion was close to a stroke of
genius, I couldn’t wait to hear how they’d follow that one up - and they
deliver!
This is pure potent pounding power - just like Exodus is supposed to be. Just an
hour after receiving this, my neck was hurting like not for years - it's
impossible not to be carried away if you’re an old thrasherhead like me.
Generally it's a show of energy, speed and tightness, and the drumming alone
with relentless beats does that this album for me belongs in the 90’s regarding
points in rating, - and the power in the deep end is surely there as always. And
for the first time I didn’t miss Souza’s vocals - Rob does a killer job on this
one (real old-school).
This album is faster, but also slightly more melodic than the previous: Bay Area
God-Thrash with some classic Heavy Metal to it, and rock’n’roll-attitude and
-sound as well. The sound is a bit more “organic” this time, not quite as
polished – and yet it’s still unmistakably “the Exodus sound”, but with room for
experiments with a different approach.
Where Exhibit A was mostly about religion and all the depravity that (can) come
with it, this one deals more with the primitive and depraved sides of human
culture: ignorance, cruelty and the ability to be mislead to do evil. As always
Exodus delivers kicks to those who think they know the only truth.
…and it’s damn cool graphics too, with Da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man as template,
showing what mankind’s culture can (has) lead to, it gives a good hint to, what
this album is about. And at the same time with connection back to the previous
cover from Exhibit A in colors and style.
Summing it up, I would say: this is thrash with class - one of the pioneers of
Thrash Metal is still going strong(er). Three words describe it: Awesome,
awesome and more f***’in’ awesome!
BUY! (or be a pu**y!)
