Exodus – Goliath | Metal Territory

Exodus are one of the legends of thrash’s original heyday, but since they started with their frosty classic debut, Bonded by Blood, in 1985, they haven’t had the most consistent career or anything bad. Lineup changes, recording delays, direction changes and issues with the band’s identity always seemed to hold back this collective from the Bay Area, and when you look back at their decades in the speed biz, they don’t have many albums in the great-victories column.

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When it became known that singer Steve “Zetro” Souza, a longtime member of the band, was leaving, I was disappointed. When word arrived that he would be replaced by another former singer, Rob Dukes, for their 12th album Goliath, I was disappointed. I’m not the biggest fan of Dukes, but, I still wanted to see Exodus release one more top-tier extreme-features statement for all ages. After a 5-year wait, what does Goliath actually hold in store for you, and will it be your size?

In short, you get what most of you probably expected: a rather lukewarm “thrash” dish that lacks beastly excess and cursed excess, with an even more pronounced absence of sticky hooks. The opening and early single «3111» begins with an ominous doomy melancholy before finally exploding into a thrashing rage with Dukes sounding surprisingly lively and feral. Gary Holt’s classic riffwork is present and recognizable, but the song never rises above the ordinary. It’s also lacking in many respects when it comes to a memorable experience. «Hostis Humani Generis» feels more alive and powerful, reminding me of the band’s salad days. With loud riffs and vocals pouring out like poison, some moments even recall their mighty debut, making it a standout album (I use that term loosely here, but more on that later). Dukes appears on “The Changing Me” by Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain), and at first it seems like you might get a thrilling celebration of speed, but an awkward, out-of-place alt-metal/rock chorus takes the song off course, wasting a good amount of joyful, frantic riffs.

Some of the album’s more interesting tracks come on the title track, where Exodus choose a slow, heavy hit that sounds like it fell off a sludge metal truck headed for Crowbar Meadows. The riffs are genuinely evil, and the song gives a sense of bulky and heavy music. Congrats to Dukes for his exceptionally intense, wrenching performance here, which far exceeds anything we’ve ever heard from him. It’s an interesting track, though not what I want or expect from Exodus. They follow with the best purebred thrash track they offer, “Beyond the Event Horizon”, which feels like a throwback to the Shovel Headed era. There’s enough raw aggression and melancholy here to win you over. Unfortunately, things head back downhill after this mid-album spike in quality. Both “2 Minutes Hate” and “Violence Works” feel like rebuilt filler, and the nearly 8-minute “Summon of the God Unknown” is like a poorly designed tribute to the worst Black Sabbath albums. At 54 minutes, Goliath lives up to its name, feeling heavy and bloated. While I appreciate the fact that only 2 tracks exceed 6 minutes, many still feel excessive.

I want to make it clear that Dukes isn’t the issue here. He does everything to deliver a bold, intense vocal performance that meets, and at times, exceeds what he did on 2005’s Shovel Headed Killing Machine. This is one of his best performances, and it brings a level of versatility I didn’t know he possessed. Gary Holt’s riffs are vital enough at times to make you remember the glory days, but then they land on recycled chugs and generic thrash idioms. Some tracks have bite, but not enough. I want to point out the surprisingly honest and audible work on Jack Gibson’s bass. I never remember the bass being so insidious on Exodus albums, and it provides a satisfyingly low pop that helps the material. Ultimately, it’s the songwriting that takes this giant down. There just aren’t enough tracks that feel essential or truly memorable. Half of them sound like leftovers from the Impact is Imminient recordings, and the other half like B-sides of Force of Habit. That’s no way to live, my son.

As much as I wanted an amazing new Exodus album, Goliath is a mix of Jolly Green Giant nuts. I won’t use this when I want a dose of Exodus, and honestly, there’s nothing here I feel the need to look up for playlists (and that includes the “standouts”. As much as I hate to suggest it, perhaps it’s time to retire this particular pony and remember the better days. Now I have to go play Bonded by Blood (only the original version!!).