More a soundtrack for bonebreaking Monday Night Football hits than a case of artistic expression, "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" finds the EXODUS attack in splendid form. Old school moshers nervous about the lineup changes can rest easy.The scowly woofs of new vocalist Rob Dukes represent a scarcely detectable change from former frontman Steve Sousa, and the adept melodicism of veteran guitarist Lee Altus (HEATHEN / ANGELWITCH) casts a cunning, grooming spell on the whole affair.

Gary Holt has come to the conclusion that nobody buys his band's records for background music at a baby shower. Years ago, he mapped out a captivating formula for each song, employing pure-bred primordial thrash and overwhelming mid-paced mosh riffs. These recent EXODUS records show minimal straying from the winning formula. The production strikes with modern sheen, but there are abundant moments of sweaty analog charm that scurry out of the mix, like the rough 'n ready hard-panned attack of "44 Magnum Opus" (which also features a gorgeous solo from Altus prior to the final verse). Many of the tracks demonstrate that Lee Altus' controlled, focused passages are the perfect accompaniment for Holt's wild and noisy solo stuntwork. Riff-wise, they boys smack you with the good stuff just about every time, the best of which is undoubtedly "Going, Going, Gone", a mailbox-smashing anthem as cheery as anything you'll hear from the golden eighties. Only the longer tracks appear to be minor chinks in the armour, as both "Deathamphetamine" and "Altered Boy" wear out their welcome a bit after the five-minute mark with a "one-more-time!" sort of redundancy.

By and large, the SF boys sound nastier and crunchier than ever. Face it, you'll probably never get to hear somebody drive a backhoe through an auto glass shop. For twelve bucks, this may be as close as you get.

- Marchman

OFFICIAL SITE: www.exodusattack.com

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