It's great to see a thrash institution like Exodus still crankin' out quality metal music well into their third decade as a viable and influential band. Although the group has gone through numerous line-up changes over the years, The Atrocity Exhibition- Exhibit A sees the band solidifying their roster since the release of 2005's killer Shovel Headed Kill Machine, and once again the boys have delivered a monster thrash album filled with everything we've come to love from these guys. Lead singer Rob Dukes is really settling in well, as his harsh, often time hardcore styled shouts and bellows mix well with the precision riffing from Gary Holt & Lee Altus (ex-Heathen). The fact that this CD was produced, engineered, and mixed by none other than Andy Sneap should speak volumes, and let me tell you, this is one great sounding metal platter. The guitar riffs, solos, and harmonies from Holt and Altus litterally leap out of your speakers, ultra-crunchy on the rhythms, and blistering when the leads whip into play. Kudos to drummer Tom Hunting, whose machine-like cannon delivery holds all this mayhem together quite nicely. Tracks like "Funeral Hymn", "Riot Act", and "As It Was, As It Soon Shall Be" are just relentless thrash monsters, featuring one juggernaut assault of riff after another, with Dukes stalking over the top of the bombast with his menacing sneer. The most incredible piece might just be the melodic but crushingly epic "Children of a Worthless God", a song that has perhaps this year's best selection of riffs put to CD. If any song melds catchy melodies, soaring harmonies, and brutal metal devastation, it's this one. Fans of crisp & rapid fire thrash face-melters will love "Iconoclasm", and "The Garden of Bleeding" mixes doomy riffs at the beginning with a Pantera-like onslaught toward the mid section.
The question is, how come legends like Exodus, Megadeth, Slayer, and Testament can still sound just as lethal and relevant today, yet Metallica has been mostly an uninspiring mess for over a decade? Whatever the reason, all that really matters here is that Exodus have once again delivered a killer thrash metal album that shows they have plenty of gas left in the tank.
Track Listing
1) Call to Arms
2) Riot Arms
3) Funderal Hymn
4) Children of a Worthless God
5) As It Was, As It Soon Shall Be
6) The Atrocity Exhibition
7) Iconoclasm
8) The Gardens of Bleeding
9) Bedlam 1-2-3
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