Exodus is officially a Thrash Metal titan.
Goliath is not only the band’s thirteenth album, it is also an opportunity for Tom Hunting (drums), Gary Holt (guitar, Slayer), Jack Gibson (bass), and Lee Altus (guitar, ex-Angel Witch, ex-Heathen) to celebrate the return of Rob Dukes (vocals, Generation Kill)!
The album kicks off with 3111, returning to those haunting tones and signature bass sound before the real onslaught begins, led by a Rob Dukes in top form who screams over his bandmates’ riffs. There’s a rather dissonant lead section, then the band finally moves on to Hostis Humani Generis, a track whose intro remains fairly calm but easily ignites when the time comes. The Changing Me takes over, offering the usual jerky vibe that’ll have us headbanging, but also unexpected melodies and the almost gentle clean vocals as well as those of Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain, ex-Bloodbath, ex-Lock Up…) which strengthens the violence, followed by the energetic Promise You This, which takes us back to the roots of Thrash, whether through the rhythm section or the searing lead parts. Groove returns in force on Goliath, a heavy track bordering on sludge that offers a much more piercing chorus and Katie Jacoby‘s violin for an epic break, then we speed up again with Beyond The Event Horizon, which comes crashing in and rushes us into its mad dash. The catchy break is a bit slower, but the band doesn’t hesitate to offer a few waves of virulence before moving on to 2 Minutes Hate, which adds a pinch of heavy metal to the already devastating thrash, then the band adds a new heady touch to its rhythm with Violence Works, which follows suit. Once again, the leads bring a virulent diversity to the already very solid composition, which flows smoothly, then the band takes a risk with Summon Of The God Unknown, slowing down the tempo even further while taking the time to spread out over almost eight minutes. The vocalist’s rage doesn’t waver, but the track suddenly ignites, going from a unifying mid-tempo anthem to a truly furious composition before returning to its cruising speed to join The Dirtiest Of The Dozen, which offers strangely heady melodies, while still leaving plenty of freedom for the bass on the break, just before a chaotic solo and a very unifying final.
In addition to being an excellent album, as solid as it is varied, Goliath gave me something I no longer expected: the return of my favorite Exodus vocalist! The band is picking up speed and is about to reclaim its rightful place!
95/100
