The world's first thrash metal band Exodus make a comeback. Hordes of old school thrashers are having their biggest feast for years, many others are expect a total failure. We've seen many failing comebacks for sure, but how can Exodus make it? After all, there's 66,6% of the debut album 'Bonded by Blood' (1985) line-up here, since the H-Team is back (guitarists Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt and drummer Tom Hunting)!

On 'Tempo of the Damned', Exodus sound like Exodus should sound on their 6th studio album, even though this is much more aggressive I waited it to be. Consisting of ten songs with elements from past recordings, 'Tempo...' is a wonderful mixture of old and new and not at all outdated. Trademark twin guitars (well, thrash-fucking-metal, what else can it be?!), tight rhythm section (Jack Gibson on bass) and Steve "Zetro" Souza's ugly vocals make Exodus unique yet one of the great Bay Area (San Francisco, USA) thrash metal bands. I you don't know Exodus, think of Metallica's 'Kill 'Em All' (1983) and there's the basics. Exodus were the first, even though many bands released albums before these guys, and Kirk Hammet (Metallica) and Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) were both in Exodus for short time back in early 1980s. But back to this one. The band play together like a well-oiled machine, that likes its work.

The songs go from headbanging pace to more maniac thrash-speeds and consist of a few parts each, but still they have enough flesh on bones. One Exodus trademark is how the guitars stay the same for a quite big parts, but rhythms vary (like, from double kick drum assault to maddened blastbeats). Or maybe not, since there's awfully lot of riffs, harmonies, melody play and solos (nicely from memorable to insane ones). First five songs are absolute killers, then come 2-3 not so hot ones ('Culling the Herd' and 'Sealed with a Fist' do not bring in anything new, and 'Throwing down' might be a tad too groovy, joyous even). Re-recorded 'Impaler' gets things back to maniac levels again. It is easy to tell this was composed back in the 1980s, but then again, the title song could also be easily from the golden era. It makes me wonder, if CD was never invented and this was released on vinyl (now that should be done!), would the track listing be this? I bet not. However, even those few less good songs are good, so 'Tempo...' has no fillers, first five songs are just so hot (just like 'Forward March's extensive guitar work on the second half of the song, it made me shit me pants). It just weird, how this similar songs can still be this different, if you catch my drift, and to tell the truth, some parts are very similar to older Exodus songs.

Exodus aren't the most brutal band on Earth, but they do it from their hearts, so it's real, in-yer-face and thoroughly respectable.Lyrics are angry and real. War (not patriotism, heh), violence and religions are surely not nice topics, yet every day ones. 'Culling...' is about cleansing the human race, and hopefully from black humour point. Steve Souza's voice is individual, kind of tense. This time he also shrieks madly, and sound generally much more aggressive than ever before. He even sings a bit on 'Throwing down', which might make it to lightest songs on the album.

The Andy Sneap production is really metal, not technical, if you get my drift. Of course totally 2004, but still reminding of the yore. Bass sounds like on older Testament albums, kind of metallic, which is the sound I absolutely love! Guitars are in-yer-face, but I think they could be even more in-yer-face, especially lead guitars, since rhythm guitar simply shreds. Drums are great, sounding real, not trickered. Bass drum really kicks hard and snare is suitably tight. Mix is perfect. At last there's a cover art worthy for a Exodus record. Jowita Kaminska's painting would be out of place of a death metl album. Digipak looks cool and lyrics are printed in a neat booklet. Digipak bonus is AC/DC's 'Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap', which suits well for the band and for Souza's voice.

I was never a Exodus fan a couple of years ago. I had 'Force of Habit' ten years ago, but sold it. I really found the band last year, when I bought a bunch of older vinyls. I was hooked. Maybe because of this, I lift 'Tempo of the Damned' as the strongest Exodus album ever released, but older fans may think other way. But they will surely love this. And Americans haven't even got their handson this, since the release date is March 23rd 2004 there. Well, hold your horses and get ready for the total thrash feast! 'Blacklist's first riff makes modern Metallica sound even worse it is, because it reminds me of '...And Justice for All' (1988). This is THRASH METAL, welcome to your punishment.

Rating: 8½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
03/07/2004 09:37