Lets get one thing straight, EXODUS is back to stay. After the release of “Tempo of the Damned”, it could have gone either way, especially after losing Zetro again…fading away was a definite possibility. The introduction of Rob Dukes into the fold could have buried the band into weekend touring oblivion, but instead has given the Bay Area boys reason to stay away from day jobs. EXODUS has seemed to get more comfortable on this newest record, showing all the reasons that they were always mentioned in the same sentence with SLAYER, METALLICA, and MEGADETH for all those years. Tom Hunting’s return to the drum stool has invigorated the music, his fills and tasteful double-bass are a welcome addition to many ears, along with Duke’s growth as a vocalist, and Lee Altus’ melodic playing. But not only are the players more comfortable, but Dukes and Altus having more writing credit on this record than on 2005's "Shovel Headed Kill Machine”. It's hard to imagine that Dukes was a guitar tech on a European tour just three years ago, and had never been a vocalist before.

The nitty and gritty: five of the nine songs here are over the seven minute mark, with the title track being over ten. It is very hard for a thrash band to keep it going for that long, especially in the interest department. But Gary Holt and crew get it done, with an amazing barrage of riffs and solos that hold your attention, and give you plenty of reasons to want more. Highlights include the slower paced “As it was, as it soon will be” that would be just as effective in 1989 as it is now. Zetro could have sang this one, as it would fit in perfectly on “Pleasures of the Flesh”. “Children of a Worthless God” is complimented with some very melodic backing vocals, along with lyrics written by Dukes. As thrashy as this song can be, it is accented and layered with some of the best soloing on the record by Altus. Spots of HEATHEN come to mind here and there, but this disc is all EXODUS. Other highlights include “Funeral Hymn”, and “Iconoclasm”, both with the signature EXODUS crunch and stab style.

This disc, however, is not without it’s downside. Dukes has grown as a vocalist, but does he really have ‘that voice’ that sets him apart from the other banshees out there? At times he seemed a bit samey and non-dynamic in his approach. Maybe a little less screaming, and a little more of something else. The band also seems a little mechanical in the song structure and playing here, it almost seems like they would be incapable of making a mistake, or even loosening up. Tight is good, but they are starting to border on robotic. These are my only gripes about the music here, all in all, a superb effort. ‘Exhibit B’ should be out in ’08, with Dukes and Altus being even more involved in the writing process. Should be a killer, especially with Andy Sneap at the knobs...he could make a snore sound good at 3 a.m.

- Murtaugh

OFFICIAL SITE: www.exodusattack.com

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