EXODUS „Shovel Headed Kill Machine”

Music: Thrash
Country: USA
Website: http://www.exodusattack.com
Duration: 43.18


Cool Songs: Deathamphetamine, Raze, I Am Abomination, Now Thy Death Day Come, Altered Boy, Shovel Headed Kill Machine.

When Exodus fulfilled their commitment to the memory of ‘Paul Baloff’ and unleashed 2004’s ‘Tempo of the Damned’, the metal world pretty much did a collective back flip. Cartwheels, Handstands, the lot. Hyped beyond belief, the fact that we even had a new Exodus album was good enough for most. When the dust settled down and some clarity could be revealed, TOTD, whilst hardly disappointing, was in all honesty, a good to middle of the road Exodus album. More ‘Fabulous Disaster’ than anything to do with ‘Bonded by Blood’ its weakness was its length, its vocalist and his increasingly predictable verse structures and most of all, it’s apparent lack of Exodus nastiness!! Plenty of folk will disagree with that assessment and that’s fine, but as a major fan of the band, why is it that I haven’t played it about a year? – Because it’s just not that special.

With the release of ‘Shovel Headed Kill Machine’ all fears of a similar ‘Tempo’ repeat have been quickly waylaid. This simply buries TOTD. THIS is more like it. Of course, much has happened in the Exodus camp over the past year. And with guitarist Gary Holt existing as the last remaining original member there is cause to question whether this is an Exodus album at all. Yeah right!! Gary Holt is the lynch pin and the sole reason why Exodus sounds like Exodus. He is one part of the glorious H-Team that has now been split due to Rick Hunolt’s return to domestic life. But Gary was always the RIFFMIESTER. And ‘Shovel Head’ literally drips with fucking molten A-Grade Thrash riffs from beginning to end. More importantly, that long lost ‘nastiness’ has been rediscovered, making ‘SH’ a much more aggressive and dynamically powerful listen.

Whilst Holt is the Exodus glue that keeps the riff machine rolling on – I’d suggest that it has been the injection of fresh blood into the line up that has stirred his creative juices even further, resulting in some of his best riff ideas since ‘Fab Disaster’. Gone is Hunolt, drummer Tom Hunting (health problems) and the big one – vocalist ‘Steve ‘Zetro’ Sousa. Who to contract in? Who? WHO? Try this; guitarist Lee Altus (Heathen) and drummer Paul Bostaph (Slayer/Forbidden/Testament). That’s some damn straight Thrash cred right there folks. As for the vocals (and this is the big surprise), after tons of vocal demos Holt and bassist Jack Gibson said fuck it, lets go with our drum tech, Rob Dukes! Inspired move it is too. Any fears and preconceptions are quickly dispensed with – his voice isn’t as idiosyncratic as that of Souza and Baloff, but he does have that essential harsh aggressive sneer quality that fits with Exodus’ sound.

‘Shovel Headed Kill Machine’ is also the faster, more aggressive album that Gary Holt pertained to earlier in the year. Andy Sneap knows the Exodus sound inside out and has afforded a fabulous, heavy as lead, guitar production to this new album. Still, I reckon it could be even nastier at times. The song writing is so much more inspired also. The riff ideas, the melodies, the solos, the lyrics all work so much better than ‘Tempo’ ever did. There is no doubt that Gary Holt is the main man in the Exodus camp. But the real reason why ‘SHKM’ is such a  thrashtastic beast is Paul Bostaph. Good enough to replace Lombardo in Slayer for a period of time, Bostaph provides the speed and rhythmic back bone that Holt has been craving for. There is nothing riff wise that Holt could throw at Bostaph to hurt the lad. You want fast, venomous thrash pacing with fills, hi-hat, crash symbols and double kick overload – Bostaph is the man and the most important reason why ‘SH’ caves your lame skull.

Easily the bands heaviest album since ‘Impact in Imminent’ and surely their most cohesive and strongest song writing effort since ‘Fabulous Disaster’ – with only a slight foray into monotone bog standard riffage – ‘Shovel Headed Kill Machine’ is a massive kick in the teeth for the modern metal fraternity. Forget about progression folks – Thrash, particularly old school 80’s thrash was never about that; same story here. With ‘Tempo’ Exodus announced their return. With ‘Shovel’, they now want your head!! And they’ll take it….

note: Quote: 9

Tracklist

Raze
Deathamphetamine
Karma´s Messenger
Shudder To Think
I Am Abomination
Altered Boy
Going Going Gone
Now Thy Death Day Come
44 Magnum Opus
Shovel Headed Kill Machine