EXODUS - Tempo Of The Damned

EXODUS
Tempo Of The Damned
Nuclear Blast America
6/10





Exodus marks its comeback from a lengthy absence with “Tempo Of The Damned”, a decent return to the metal arena. This album is very similar to the band’s Fabulous Disaster production wise. The mix is solid and the record sounds great when you turn the volume up loud. On balance, Exodus have slowed a bit in comparison to previous releases, however every track bears the unmistakable Exodus sound and the music is still powerful, heavy and strong sounding. Many riffs on the album sound as if they were written with more of a hard rock vein in mind, but they are nonetheless infectious and fitful. Don’t worry, Exodus fans, there’s still plenty of thrash here to go around (circle pit, anyone?).

Vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza is a poignant lyricist using humorous plays on words and catchy passages that will have you singing along by the end of each song. My personal favorite track is “Throwing Down”. On this song the vocals sound much less forced and I favor this style of singing as opposed to Zetro’s trademark wail. “Culling The Herd” is a bit slower and features a memorable chorus line, while “Scar Spangled Banner” is an up tempo anthem which will no doubt incite uncontrollable moshing in a live setting. The guitar attack of Gary Holt on this track is frantic and vigorous.

On “War Is My Shepard”, the vocals are a bit varied with Zetro venturing into deathy territory on the chorus. With poignant phrases like “Praise the Lord and pass the ammunition”, the lyrics to this tune focus on a topic that rests on many people’s minds today – War. “Blacklist” has a nice crunchy feel and another war themed song, “Forward March” chugs along at a good rate while Souza chants the words in a military manner.

These guys are masters at creating catchy riffs that make you want to get up and move, but this being said, I would have expected a little more speed and power from a new Exodus release.

If you’re a previous fan of the band that wasn’t offended when they drifted from their more aggressive “Bonded By Blood” style, you will surely find this interesting. However, there's no new ground broken here… Recommended for serious collectors and fans of straight up mid-tempo thrash only.


Written By: Rick Rattlehead