Exodus are one of the legends of the original thrash heyday, but since kicking things off with their stone cold classic debut, Bonded by Blood, way back in 1985, they haven’t had the most consistent career or evil. Lineup changes, recording delays, directional shifts, and issues with band identity always seemed to hamstring this Bay Area collective, and when you look back on their decades in the speed biz, they don’t have many albums in the big win column. When news broke that long-time vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza was out of the band, I was disappointed. When word came that he would be replaced by another ex-vocalist, Rob Dukes, for their 12th album Goliath, I was dismayed. I’m not the biggest Dukes fan, but hey, I still wanted to see Exodus put out another high-flying statement of extremity for the ages and the aged. After a 5-year wait, what does Goliath actually have in store for you, and will it be in your size?
In a nutshell, you get what most of you were probably expecting: a rather tepid “thrash” platter lacking in bestial excess and infernal overkill, with an even more pronounced absence of sticky hooks. Opener and early single “3111” kicks off with an ominously doomy plod before eventually exploding into a thrashing rage with Dukes sounding surprisingly spry and fierce. The classic Gary Holt riffwork is present and recognizable, but the song never pushes past standard-issue. It also lacks much in the way of memorability. “Hostis Humani Generis” feels more vital and forceful, reminding me of the band’s salad days. With slashing riffs and vocals spat out like venom, some moments even recall their mighty debut, making it an album standout (I use that term loosely here, but more on that later). Dukes is joined on “The Changing Me” by Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain), and at first it seems as if you might get a face-ripping speed feast, but an awkward, out-of-place alt-metal/rock chorus blows the song up, wasting a goodly amount of gleefully beefbrained riffage.
Some of the album’s most interesting bits come during the title track, where Exodus opt for a slow, grinding stomp that sounds like it fell off a sludge metal truck heading to Crowbar Meadows. The riffs are legitimately mean, and the song feels massive and weighty. Props to Dukes for his extra intense, throat-rending performance here, which is well beyond anything we’ve ever heard from him before. It’s an interesting tune, though it’s not what I want or expect from Exodus. They follow this up with the best pure thrash track on offer, “Beyond the Event Horizon,” which feels like a throwback to the Shovel Headed era. There’s enough raw aggression and meataheadedness here to win you over. Sadly, things roll back downhill after this mid-album quality spike. Both “2 Minutes Hate” and “Violence Works” feel like retread filler, and the nearly 8-minute “Summon of the God Unknown” is like an ill-conceived homage to the worst Black Sabbath albums. At 54 minutes, Goliath lives up to its name, feeling ponderous and bloated. While I appreciate that only 2 tracks cross the 6-minute mark, many still feel overstuffed somehow.
I want to be clear that Dukes isn’t the issue here. He goes above and beyond to give a gutsy, intense vocal performance that meets, and at times, exceeds what he did on 2005s Shovel Headed Killing Machine. This is one of his best performances, and he brings a level of versatility I didn’t know he possessed. Gary Holt’s riffing is vital enough at times to make you remember the glory days, but then it lapses into recycled chugs and generic thrash idioms. Some tracks have bite, but not nearly enough of them. I want to point out the surprisingly upfront and audible bass work by Jack Gibson. I don’t recall the bass ever being this in-your-face on an Exodus album, and it provides a satisfyingly low-end pop that helps the material. Ultimately, it’s the songwriting that takes this giant down for the count. There just aren’t enough cuts that feel essential or truly memorable. Half of this sounds like leftovers from the Impact is Imminient sessions, and the other half sounds like B-sides to Force of Habit. That ain’t no way to go through life, son.
As much as I wanted a killer new Exodus album, Goliath is a mixed bag of Jolly Green Giant nuts. I won’t reach for this when I want an Exodus fix, and honestly, there’s nothing here that I feel the need to poach for playlists (and that includes the “standouts). Loath though I am to suggest it, it might be time to retire this particular pony and remember the better days. Now I need to go spin Bonded by Blood (the original version only!!).
Rating: 2.5/5.0
DR: NA | Format Reviewed: FVKKING STREAM!!
Label: Napalm
Websites: exodus.bandcamp.com/album/goliath | facebook.com/exodusattack | instagram.com/exodusbandofficial
Releases Worldwide: March 20th, 2026
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