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Exodus
- Shovel Headed Kill Machine
2005 Nuclear Blast
Track
Listing:
1. Raze
2. Deathamphetamine
3. Karma's Messenger
4. Shudder To Think
5. I Am Abomination
6. Altered Boy
7. Going Going Gone
8. Now Thy Death Day Come
9. 44 Magnum Opus
10. Shovel Headed Kill Machine
Line-Up:
Vocals:
Rob Dukes
Guitars: Gary Holt, Lee
Atlus
Bass: Jack Gibson
Drums: Paul Bostaph
Website: www.exodusattack.com
Horatio's Rating: A
Shev's Rating:
A
Average Album Rating: A
Also be sure to read:
Exodus
- Bonded By Blood Review
by Scoots
Exodus
- Fabulous Disaster Review
by Horatio |
Shev's Review:
To be perfectly blunt, I did not have much hope for this
Exodus album. For starters, there was a huge falling out with Steve DeSouza which
involved all kinds of dirty laundry airing...then Rick Hunolt steps down...and
Tom Hunting is no longer with the band, either. "Tempo Of The
Damned" was a pretty decent Exodus album, but losing three key members,
Rick Hunolt in particular, couldn't spell good things for the future of Exodus.
Then again, when you're replacing those members with a couple seasoned thrash
veterans it tends to relieve some of that pain. So that's the case with the
new Exodus album which I figured I would only find moderately interesting
at best, but in reality turned into one of the best metal releases for 2005.
"Shovel Headed Kill Machine" is actually good enough to rival the likes of
"Bonded By Blood" and my personal favorite, "Fabulous
Disaster".
First and foremost, anybody that knows me knows that I'm a big Paul Bostaph fan.
What can I say? Everything the guy is involved with is typically outstanding.
Adding him as the new Exodus drummer is probably the best choice this band could have made as the drumming is drop dead
awesome. Incredible double bass, solid snare sound without being overwhelming, plenty of variety...the guy definitely did not take the job with
the intent of pulling off some half-assed glossy fills for a paycheck.
Lee Atlus of Heathen fame also does a great job off filling in where
Hunolt left off. In all honesty, I would rather have the Hunolt/Holt
team back, but Atlus is a seasoned vet with an impressive resume. So long
as Holt has a strong hold of the creative reigns, I don't see Lee having any problems fitting in
with the future of Exodus.
So that leaves us with...Rob Dukes. I don't know where he came from,
but apparently Exodus likes him. He's alright, I guess, with his
faux-Zetro mixed with generic 80's old school thrash vocals, but does he really fit in
with the music? He certainly does a sufficient job and does not detract
anything from the music for the most part, but his vocal style and depth just doesn't seem to click...it's like he's not at the
same level as the rest of Exodus. Could be that Exodus has a history of
using top notch thrash vocalists and that I simply expected that trend to continue with something
new instead of something new that's trying to sound retro. Whatever.
With the only bad song on this being the slow/mid-paced exercise in repetitious
boredom called "Altered Boy", this is (and I really hate to use the term) an
"instant classic". As much as I dig Exodus, their first three albums are
without a doubt my favorites. Without exactly returning to form, Exodus
has managed to write an outstanding release which separates itself from the
rest of their material and really stands by itself as a mean, angry, slab of
thrash. I feel bad for you if you haven't heard this.
Shev's Rating: A
Horatio's Review:
The euphoria that surrounded 2004's excellent comeback set
'Tempo Of The Damned' suggested a promising new start for Exodus, but as fortune would have it things haven't progressed quite how Gary Holt would have liked over the last year and a half.
The loss of Steve DeSouza, Rick Hunolt and Tom Hunting has deprived the band of three classic members from the bands 80's heyday, which would lead one to assume that
'Shovel Headed Kill Machine' is surely a pale imitation of the bands vintage sound.
Not only is this not true, but this set exceeds 'Tempo Of The Damned' for thrash purity, indicating the hype surrounding this album was true.
First impressions of Duke on vocals were not favourable, but once given a chance adopts the De Souza/Baloff stance with ease and equality.
Bostaph needs no introduction, any ex-drummer of Slayer bolsters any
band's credibility.
Holt is clearly a man enraged. The thrash quotient is improbable and as long as he is the chief songwriter and guitarist, then
Exodus will always retain their sound. One listen to 'Going, Going,
Gone' will cease any claims that Exodus are not the same band.
Rooted firmly in the 1989 'Last Act Of Defiance' sound, this scathing slab of primordial thrash is one the
band's heaviest of a long career. Lyrically it repeats the rampage theme of
'Open Season, 'I'm a madman on a killing spree!'. Holt explores other themes like Catholic church child abuse on
'Altered Boy', which is one of the few slower tracks, running at seven minutes.
'Shudder To Think' is another piece of mid-paced heaviness, but without the thrash element
something's missing. Not to fear as these two tracks are the only two to
utilize this direction.
'Deathamphetamine' is an eight minute headbanging epic with varying sleights of hand, including some of the
band's fastest thrash segments this side of 'Deranged'. 'Raze' is as traditional as thrash gets, although Dukes gets a little too close to Anselmo on occasion, sounding not unlike big Phil on
'Cowboys From Hell'. 'Karma's Messenger', 'I Am
Abomination', 'Now Thy Death Day Come' '44 Magnum Opus' and the title track are pointless to recap individually, they are full on blasts of thrash that recapture the Bay Area's best days, if not exceeding them.
Exodus continue to grow stronger because they, Holt, should I say, sticks to what made the band a legend to begin with.
Like Slayer he continues to pursue old school thrash and keeps it simple without sounding dated or irrelevant.
Along with Cavalera and the recent 'Dark Ages', this is probably the metal album of 2005.
Thrash when done correctly is the essence of metal. This is as heavy as it gets.
If you don't feel the urge to go on a killing spree after hearing this, then you have no business listening to thrash at all.
Horatio's Rating: A
Discography (last updated 12.22.05):
Bonded By Blood -
1985
Pleasure Of The Flesh - 1987
Fabulous Disaster - 1989
Impact Is Imminent - 1990
Good Friendly Violent Fun live - 1991
Force Of Habit - 1992
Lessons In Violence compilation - 1992
Another Lesson In Violence live - 1997
Tempo Of The Damned - 2004
Shovel Headed Kill Machine - 2005
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