On disc: Exodus

 
 Another Lesson In Violence
 
- Volker Raabe -
 
 


 
 Tempo Of The Damned
 
- Jörg Petersen -
 
 


 
 Tempo Of The Damned
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
 


 
 Let There Be Blood
 
- Claudia Ehrhardt -
 
  

Let There Be Blood

(Zaentz Records - 2008)



 
 

 

Okay, these days many bands complain about record sales going down and countless CDs get on the market every month. Same albums became classics through the years and one of these classics is Exodus' Bonded By Blood. One of the must-have albums for a thrash metal fan and with thrash metal getting more popular again the bands get more attention. Exodus been one of the forerunners of the thrash metal scene and do very well these days. Now Exodus mainman Gary Holt decided to re-record the old classic with the current line-up. Paul Baloff became a legend with this classic long before he passed away in 2002. Mastermind Gary Holt is convinced to have the best Exodus line-up ever and that they can bring Bonded By Blood to shine again. The re-recorded version is called Let There Be Blood and has different cover artwork. There is no reason to talk about the songs, coz every thrash metal fan knows tracks like Bonded By Blood, A Lesson In Violence and Strike Of The Beast. Sure, the production is more powerful and current singer Rob Dukes has a raspy voice and so vocally it's a difference. And some might prefer Dukes' voice...

Anyway, I think thrash metal fans do have the original and don't need this re-recording. Younger fans might dig the original, too. It would have been cool, if they would have done some special shows and did record the album live! Why? Well, if the line-up is so strong they could have handled it and they could have added some more songs. Exodus was always a great live band, so it would have been a decent way to bring Bonded By Blood alive in 2008. At the end of the day the fan has to decide, if he / she spends money on the re-recording or buys any other CD. I can't give a recommendation at this point and I don't want to rate Let There Be Blood. Now it's up to you to make a decision pro or con the album.
 
 






Claudia Ehrhardt


  
up 













Tempo Of The Damned

(Nuclear Blast - 2004)



 
 

 

It's been 12 years since the Bay Area thrasher released their last album. Last year they came back onto the stages in Europe. Now their new album is out! Finally! They kick off with Scar Spangled Banner - a track they played live on their European tour. It's a fast track with the typical guitar work of Holt / Hunold. Singer Steve Souza is back and mean as ever - vocally. The quintet managed to keep the Exodus sound and make it sound modern at that same time. The track War Is My Shepard was already released on the tour-EP - in a nutshell... Heavy riffing, fast drumming and an amazing Souza who shouts, screams and growls! Shroud Of Urine is perhaps the best track on Tempo Of The Damned. Starting off with a different drum sound, then some twin guitar riffing. Almost a power metal track... Only the vocals won't be what expected from power metal. Great guitar solo, by the way. Check this one out!

The track Blacklist has some Metallica-vibe... Old Metallica! The riffing is typical Metallica and even Souza sound different... Remind me partly of Bobby Ellsworth of Overkill. Not a typical Exodus song, but makes the album more interesting. One some songs Souza use spoken words... It's more that he spits out the words quickly... Listen to Forward March. Some might know Impaler, coz it been floating through the scene on their demos and been on Another Lesson In Violence. Another good choice to check out is the title track Tempo Of The Damned. Here you find all the typical trademarks of the Exodus sound. Not like their classics, but like a modern version...

Last, but not least a cover version as a bonus track of the digi-pack... AC/DC's Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. They played the track live frequently. It's close to the original just a little heavier and rougher. Steve Souza would be the next in line as AC/DC singer, if Brian Johnson one day shouldn't be available anymore....

Great album! A must-have for all thrash metal fans!
 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
up 










Tempo Of The Damned

(Nuclear Blast - 2004)



 
 

 

The future of Exodus was up in the air when frontman Paul Baloff died. With Steve 'Zetro' Souza their interim singer - Pleasure Of The Flesh (1987) - is back. Their debut album Bonded By Blood is still their best release and was a cornerstone for thrash metal and the Bay Area sound. Starting straight with a killer song - Scar Spangled Banner - they kick off the comeback album. On the 3rd album with Zetro the singer is as good as on his Exodus debut or even better!?!? Another highlight is War Is My Sheppard which was already released on the tour-EP. A brutal sound has Shroud Of Urine, but even if the songs have the appeal of the thrash milestones of the 80's and at the same time sound very modern. The song Blacklist remind me a little of Overkill.... With Impaler - has some Metallica riffing, coz it was co-written by Kirk Hammett before he joined Metallica - they revived a classic from their early days, the days of demos. The title track could have been on their debut Bonded By Blood, it's in their own thrash tradition. What an album!!!!! Many comebacks were welcome, but the results lacked the quality. Here we have a killer album! This is how a comeback should be! Buy it!!!!!!
 
 










Claudia Ehrhardt


  
up 










Another Lesson In Violence

(Century Media - 1997)



 
 

 

With the reunion of Exodus they deliver a live album which was recorded during a show at March, 8th 1997 in their home town San Francisco. The set list includes all the highlights of Exodus like Exodus, Bonded By Blood, Piranha and A Lesson In Violence and shows the trash heads what it's all about. I guess, we can expect a lot more from them in future...
 
 






Volker Raabe
(translation: Claudia Ehrhardt)

  
up 





 
 • E-Mail: contact@ice-vajal.com