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September 3, 2010 |
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01. Raze
02. Deathamphetamine
03. Karma's Messenger
04. Shudder To Think
05. I Am Abomination
06. Altered Boy
07. Going Going Gone
08. Now Thy Death Day Come
09. 44 Magnum Opus
10. Shovel Headed Kill Machine
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The dictionary defines EXODUS (ex-o-dus) as a departure of a large number of people, with the most obvious reference being the departure of the Israelites from Egypt. METALEATER defines EXODUS as the world's best thrash engine that doesn't run on gasoline, but is fuelled by extreme heaviness, intense aggression, and a persistent desire to stay number one, with the most obvious reference being the release of their latest opus, "Shovel Headed Kill Machine".
After last year's comeback release, "Tempo Of The Damned", EXODUS return in '05 with a "Shovel Headed Kill Machine", a fine example of what it takes to stay at the very top of the thrash castle. The band currently features founder/guitarist Gary Holt, bassist Jack Gibson (the only holdover alongside Holt from "Tempo"), guitarist Lee Altus (most notably of HEATHEN fame), drummer Paul Bostaph (FORBIDDEN, SLAYER), and newcomer vocalist Rob Dukes. Although there have been significant changes in the EXODUS camp since last year's CD, this is most definitely not a "getting used to playing together" release. The new members seem to have been a shot of adrenaline directly into the heart of this metallic beast...angrier, heavier, and often faster than last year's highly acclaimed comeback release.
New guy #1, Paul Bostaph, needs no introduction and adds his own style to the EXODUS sound. He fits right in without a problem and is indeed the man to keep up with any riff Gary Holt can throw his way...check out the double-kick in "I Am Abomination", and his work behind the skins in "Altered Boy". New guy #2, Lee Altus, completes the twin-guitar attack with Mr. Holt and does it with authority. Sure, the Holt-Hunolt team was strong, but the Holt-Altus pairing is already firing on all cylinders; Listen to the hooks and shredding solo work in "Deathamphetamine", "Shudder To Think", and "Karma's Messenger"...wow! New guy #3, Rob Dukes, sings like a man overflowing with anger and hatred, and to me, is a perfect fit to the ferocity of the band. Although he's using his voice as an outlet for all this anger, I like that you can still understand his lyrics perfectly, and don't need a lyric sheet to sing along.
He often reminds me of RAZOR's Bob Reid from 1997's "Decibels", especially in the song "Going Going Gone" which has some real vocal grit to it. Everyone is obviously capable of playing the music Holt writes, and I like the fact that the music can still be easily identified as EXODUS, regardless of who's behind the instruments.
The album has some slower songs (well...OK, mid-paced), as well as the fast ones, but they all have one thing in common...they're all really heavy. The medium pace of "Shudder To Think" is extremely thick and has one of those riffs that sticks in your head long after the song has ended. It also reminds me a lot of the OVERKILL sound on "RelixIV". "Altered Boy" has some great tongue-in-cheek sarcasm, lyrically a standout on this release, and just as a reference, it could easily be a RAZOR song. "44 Magnum Opus", at just under seven minutes is fast, heavy, very forceful, and hits you hard. It's got it all - chops, rolls, riffs, solos, time changes, double-kick...another EXODUS anthem.
Gary Holt continues to construct some of thrash metal's best riffs. Thrash metal was and always will be about the riffs...and like RAZOR's Dave Carlo, I don't think there's any shortage of them in Holt's head. "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" is packed with layered riff structures, which he and Altus deliver song after song at paces which range from plodding to sometimes frenzied. Holt's aggressive writing style, both musically and lyrically, persists and he seems to be coming into his prime with two intense CDs in a row...what will the next EXODUS release bring?
"Shovel Headed Kill Machine" is like an out-of-control amusement park ride - fast, slower, faster, slow, fast, faster, fastest! After 52 minutes of this crazy ride, my neck is sore and I have a headache, but I am definitely going to play it again...right now. This is not "Bonded By Blood", but it will easily sit alongside it when you open the dictionary and look up the definition of THRASH metal. "Shovel Headed Kill Machine" is yet another excellent thrash album, with definite direction and structure, from what to this day remains one of the genre's best bands.
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