History
Exodus was destined for great things in 1985 and were the leaders of the Bay Area thrash movement and an inspiration to many bands. They were formed as a HR/HM band in 1981 and were getting progressively heavier. They had contributed Kirk Hammet to Metallica (who had taken his guitars and songs over), recorded an EP called A Lesson In Violence in 1984 and had recorded Bonded By Blood in 1984 - released with much delay - which was an underground hit.
The band's razor-sharp delivery, original vocals and Bay Area reputation had the band pegged for a Metallica-like future. The band supported Slayer and Venom on the road. Then Baloff developed a temper and reportedly a habit and was kicked out. He didn't last in his other bands. His replacement (who probably later regretted leaving pre-Testament band Legacy to join) was an acquired taste and song titles like Toxic Waltz were certainly nothing to build a career on. Still, a major label came a calling - not before giving Combat one more album due to Exodus' contract - and waved a big wad of cash to sign the act. Capitol Records had acquired one of the 'big four' of thrash metal for a reported $1 million (US). No AC/DC cover could save Exodus though and the gang called it a day. Of course, later both Capitol and Combat squeezed one more album each from an act which was no longer with them.
Despite evidence to the contrary, then-Century Media A&R signed the reformed band assuming a fan base and put them on tour. The band played in the USA, South America and at the Dynamo. Friendship only went so far, however; and the band balked at recording a studio album while immersed in monetary negotiations in a now said A&R-free Century Media. Still Exodus intended to record in 2002, this despite the sudden death of original vocalist Baloff who had rejoined the thrashers. The band instead opted for Steve Souza. Souza did not last long in the band either and the rest of the band begun searching for a new singer as of late 2002.
The band spent the summer of 2003 recording Tempo Of The Damned at Tsunami Studio in Northern California with producer Andy Sneap. The record was first announced for the Exodus management-run CCC Records, but this plan was later altered. The band had seemingly settled on Souza once again for vocals. It was announced in late summer that the band has signed with Nuclear Blast Records and the next album would be out in the spring of 2004.
Tempo Of The Damned was issued in the winter of 2004 to a fair amount of hype. The band had also shot videos for the songs War Is My Shepherd and Throwing Down. European live dates would soon follow. Gary Holt and the band's manager Steve Warner formed a project called Drug Pig in 2004.
Exodus had a major line-up change in the summer of 2004 with the firing of lead singer, Steve “Zetro” Souza due to internal strife including money and touring problems. Due to complications with replacement singers the band also had no choice but to postpone its South American dates. Steve Esquivel of Skinlab joined the act for shows in support of Megadeth. The band also utilized Matt Harvey of Exhumed and singer Chuck Billy of Testament for one show each.
The principles for Torrid Records announced in late 2004 that they would issue a special 20th anniversary edition of the band's 1985 debut album Bonded By Blood.
Singer Rob Dukes, a relative unknown, joined the band in early 2005. A DVD documentary of the Tempo Of The Damned record release show from March, 2004, entitled Live At The DNA, was out in 2005. Following the recruitment of Rob Dukes on vocals, the thrashers recruited drummer Paul Bostaph to replace the ailing Hunting. The band was working on a new album at Trident studio. Guitarist Rick Hunolt joined the list of people who have left the band in the summer of 2005. The new line-up, featuring Gary Holt, drummer Paul Bostaph, new singer Rob Dukes, bassist Jack Gibson and new guitarist Lee Altus would record and issue Shovel Headed Kill Machine on October 4th through Nuclear Blast Records. The band was part of X-Mass Festivals 2005 tour in Europe with Occult, Onslaught and others. Exodus, Subzero and Full Blown Chaos (The Classic Struggle dropped off following the injury of drummer Tyler Solnosky) toured North America in April, 2006 using the North American Abomination 2006 monicker. Souza co-founded a band called Dublin Death Patrol with several notable Bay Area musicians in 2006. Also, there were Testament’s Chuck Billy and Machine Head’s Phil Demmel. Drummer Tom Hunting returned in February, 2007 having apparently sorted out his problems. Paul Bostaph was out of the group and seeking a new gig. The group picked The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A as the title for its 2007 album, which was due in late October through Nuclear Blast Records. Producer Andy Sneap recorded the CD. The band also issued a new DVD independently. Entitled Double Live Dynamo! The DVD features sets from 1985 and 1997. Exodus signed for further albums with Nuclear Blast Records in 2008. The band was next rerecording its 1985 album, Bonded By Blood, with Rob Dukes on vocals. Zetro Souza joined Tent in 2008, which was the band of SYL/Zimmers Hole man Jed Simon. Tent was writing and recording in San Francisco for an album that would be released through Century Media Records. The band would play the entire 1985 debut album, Bonded By Blood, at the group’s November, 2008 shows in Seattle and Los Angeles. Session drummer Nick Barker would fill in for Exodus' Tom Hunting during the Americans’ upcoming European tour of 2009. The band claimed Hunting is on a Mexican vacation then. The band announced it would issue a live DVD called Live At Wacken… in 2009. Generation Kill was a new crossover band featuring singer Rob Dukes, MOD’s Rob Moschetti and Mortician drummer Sam Inzerra. The band had a song called, Hate. Exodus, in the meantime, was touring and hitting Japan, China and Taiwan in the summer. Rob Dukes embarked on his third cross-country trip by bike in 2009. He departed from New York City on Sunday, August 30th. The band was forced to cancel its Beijing, China show at the Mao Live venue on September 25th ostensibly due to visa issues. The band was planning on recording a new album with British producer Andy Sneap in November. Exodus subsequently named its ninth studio album Exhibit B: The Human Condition. The band was recording in Northern California with Andy Sneap. The album was expected to be released in the spring of 2010. Shovel Headed Tour Machine: Live At Wacken & Other Assorted Atrocities, Exodus’ new DVD was released in North America on January 12th, 2010.
Reviews
EXODUS - BONDED BY BLOOD – TORRID 
Exodus' 1985 thrash opus Bonded By Blood has a bit of a legendary status among thrash fans. One of the most influential albums of the thrash movement and probably one of the most pure metal albums ever recorded, Bonded By Blood is an album that every thrash kid should know. It's a step below albums like Rust In Peace and Master Of Puppets, but for the vast majority of thrash you can't do much better.
Actually, if you really look at Bonded By Blood, it isn't that amazing an album. It's a bit repetitive, and Paul Baloff (however metal he may be) isn't a particularly good singer. What Bonded By Blood lacks in finesse, it makes up for in charm, which is something most thrash lacks. The song A Lesson In Violence contains the lyric "GET ON YOUR KNEES AND BOW...TO LEARN A LESSON IN VIOLENCE!" One of the songs is entitled And Then There Were None. Paul Baloff was simply the most metal person alive.
And the album contains some sublime moments. The aforementioned And Then There Were None is a phenomenal song, more mid-paced, with a great hook. A Lesson In Violence and Piranha are two of the greatest thrash metal songs ever recorded. Deliver Us To Evil is a seven-minute epic that's actually really good. But the all-time best is the title track. I believe that it is the greatest headbanging song ever recorded, and I say that without hyperbole. This whole album fucking COMMANDS you to headbang, and the title track is like a metal orgasm. The chorus contains the immortal line "BANG YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE STAGE!" and anything that tells you to bang your head into inanimate objects is worth listening to.
I think what makes Bonded By Blood better then the other zillions of thrash albums it inspired is variety. So many thrash albums are just the same song over and over, but Bonded By Blood has definite, different songs and that makes it so much better. It comes off as a whole album, not a collection of songs that could have been written in three seconds.
The album does have its flaws. It lacks the polish and variety to match up with true masterpieces of the metal world. As I said, Baloff is honestly a pretty bad singer, although I love him to death. And the album is kinda cheesy ("Someone's 'bout to die, and that SOMEONE...ISSSS YOOOOOU!"). Honestly, what it comes down to is this. Your enjoyment of Bonded By Blood will be determined by your enjoyment of metal. The more you love the culture of metal, and denim and leather, and ripping guitar solos, and the violence of it all, the more you'll love Bonded By Blood. If you don't count yourself as a metalhead, this album won't really appeal to you. But if you're a thrash fan, then Exodus' Bonded By Blood is an album you need to hear -- not just to hear what's inspired them all, but also to hear one of the great thrash albums of all time.
(Also, Piranha is an insanely good song). – Max V.
EXODUS - TEMPO OF THE DAMNED - NUCLEAR BLAST
One has to be cautious when it comes to 'classic' bands which decide to reform. Most of the returning metal acts have less to do with having something to say artistically and more with a foolish belief that the band can regain lost glory and make some fast dough in the process. What's more, the wave of reforming acts is a hindrance to the future development of heavy metal. One less young metal band will obtain a recording contract for every band that decides to reform and duly sign with a label eager to cash in on the name-recognition of the said group.
Much to my surprise the come-back album of Exodus is a good one. The band has smoothed the rough edges of its Bay Area thrash sound, updated the production value of its work and managed to put together quite a respectable CD with Tempo Of The Damned. The album begins with two great songs. Scar Spangled Banner is an intense opening statement with intelligent lyrics. These particular Americans have seen the light it seems. War Is My Sheppard (a George War Bush quotation?) follows and is a worthy contender. Shroud Of Urine - another great play on words - has an impressive guitar rhythm and leads courtesy of the celebrated H-Team - guitarists Holt and Hunolt. The same is true for Culling The Herd with the brilliant line 'When will everyone realize/that people should be sterilized.' Second-choice singer Steve Souza varies his nasal voice here which is not necessarily a positive. The song sports seriously splendid guitars again. Although a special mention must go to the fantastic drum roll in the middle of the song. It is time to mention the rhythm section at this point. Aided by the powerful engineering of Andy Sneap, new bassist Jack Gibson creates a dominant bass sound that is often reminiscent of Overkill. Returning drummer Tom Hunting takes advantage of the sound and shows off with a convincing barrage of precision drumming. The band has also dusted off a twenty-year old song called Impaler for this album. The song obviously has a vintage feel to it, although the speedy mid-section is certainly a great interlude.
The silly and stupefying band photo aside, Tempo Of The Damned is a good album whose most important accomplishment is signifying how Exodus still deserves to be around in 2004. - Ali "The Metallian"
EXODUS - SHOVEL HEADED KILL MACHINE - NUCLEAR BLAST
With a line-up presenting three out of five new members and a nonsensical album title going up against the excellence of the band's last album, Tempo Of The Damned, the certitude that the new Exodus would again hit the spot was precarious. The depiction of a tank as cover art was also suspect. Marduk, Impaled Nazarene, Enthroned, Centinex and others have, after all, recently used that exact motif. After repeated listens one has to say that Shovel Headed Kill Machine is certainly above average and worthy of recommendation, but not quite reaching the same heights as the band's return album of 2004.
Exodus' new album and line-up directs the Bay Area thrashers to a more brutal direction which, while still in the band's general musical scope, even touch death metal territory. The vocals of new kid Rob Dukes is sick and is as close to previous singer Steve Souza as Gary Holt probably could find. Dukes comes across as Souza, Exhorder's Kyle Thomas and Overkill's Blitz rolled into one. The music is Exodus gone heavier, early Exhorder and deathly. Age obviously is not adversely affecting this bunch. Deathamphetamine, for instance, is over eight minutes in length - if that title itself and others like I Am Abomination, Now Thy Death Day Come and the title track did not speak volumes. Exodus' trademark formula of a heavy thrashing rhythm topped by a fluid solo is still intact. Better examples are opener Raze or the song Altered Boy.
Barring Candlemass sensational return last year, Exodus still takes the cake for the best metal return or reformation. - Ali "The Metallian"
EXODUS – THE ATROCITY EXHIBITION - EXHIBIT A – NUCLEAR BLAST 
The prolific Exodus is back for another stab at thrashing and intense sounds and Nuclear Blast has consequently graced the reviewers with yet another 99-track, supposedly piracy-proof promo CD. The good news is that the yet again revamped Exodus has not lost the intensity of their previous two 21st-century releases. The opener Call To Arms is one true title as is the next song Riot Act. The clean but heavy production transmits the intensity well and here the guitar sound stands out as a good example for a thrash or death metal album production. Children Of A Worthless God starts in a somewhat melodic ‘80s mould and includes the always unnecessary clean Fear Factory-like vocals, although the overall intensity of the song is undeniable. As It Was, As It Soon Shall Be is another heavy thrash entry with Gary Holt contributing a classic heavy metal solo or two. The title track, Iconoclasm The Garden Of Bleeding and Bedlam 1-2-3 round up this rather politically themed release and all include enough brutal moments to confirm The Atrocity Exhibition’s place among the most aggressive, if nothing else, releases of the recent past. – Anna Tergel
EXODUS – LET THERE BE BLOOD – ZAENTZ 
It is bad enough that bands don’t cease activity when a key member leaves or dies. Mayhem continuing without Euronymous, a Rainbow band without Ritchie Blackmore, Thin Lizzy touring without Lynott or Judas Priest without Rob Halford has shown the folly of many a metal band. Matters are worse now that the trend of covering one’s own songs has reached its apex.
It is a tribute to Exodus’ 1985 debut, Bonded By Blood, that the band has deemed it worthy of rerecording (albeit with a new singer) 24 years later. One hopes the Bay Area thrashers make some money off it this time, but is that justification for the re-release? What message does that send regarding the band’s song writing abilities in 2008? Does new singer Rob Dukes feel like he is in Exodus or in the leading Exodus tribute/cover band?
The truth is that Bonded By Blood is a great album that slams to this day. The album, however, featured the dead and buried singer Paul Baloff. It cannot be duplicated. The other truth is that any album that is worthy of being covered again – sorry rerecorded - by the band should best be left alone. That is one sure-fire way of knowing with confidence that a certain song or record needs to be left alone and that it cannot be rematched. Exodus, with its worthy, post-reformation albums should have especially taken heed. Of course, Bonded By Blood is such an intense album instrumentally and vocally and it is no exception on this rerecording. The band gives its instruments a workout. Dukes’ vocals are slightly out of place and the rhythm guitar is rather atonal. Still, the drum sounds killer (production-wise), the lead guitars rip and the bass is given a sharp sound as well as room to shine. The production cannot be faulted overall. The album, by the way, includes a song called Hell’s Breath stemming from 1983, which not many would have heard before.
Metallica would never rerecord its debut, Kill ‘Em All. As wimped and washed out as those hacks are, they are smart enough to know that they cannot and would not match their debut these many years later. That, partly, explains why Metallica are millionaires and Exodus is not. – Ali “The Metallian”
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