It’s hard to believe that with all the high praise and success San Francisco Bay Area thrash act Exodus were having with their almighty comeback album Tempo Of The Damned (Released in 2004), behind the scenes it was all falling apart at the seams.

In the last twelve months, the thrash pioneers have lost three fifths of their line up (Vocalist Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza (Who was fired, or quit of his own accord depending on who’s view you chose to favour), guitarist Rick Hunolt (Who left to focus on family life just prior to recording the new album) and drummer Tom Hunting dues to a recurring health problems).

But through sheer determination, guitarist/principal song writer Gary Holt and bassist Jack Gibson quickly recruited new members in vocalist Rob Dukes, guitarist Lee Altus (Who is also a member of famed thrash act Heathen) and drummer Paul Bostaph (Ex-Slayer, Forbidden and Testament), leaving many to wonder if Exodus would sound the same, let alone top Tempo Of The Damned with their new line up.

To put it bluntly, Exodus haven’t so much as missed a beat, with Shovel Headed Kill Machine quite literally picking up exactly where the band left last time around. Not only do the new members fit seamlessly into the fold, but Shovel Headed Kill Machine is also a killer follow up release that sits comfortably next to Tempo Of The Damned as one of thrash metal scene’s best releases in recent years.

From the moment the album is opened up with ‘Raze’, it’s immediately clear that Exodus are back with a sound that’s every bit as solid and pounding as Tempo Of The Damned (Once again, Andy Sneap has managed to bring out the best from within the band), with Bostaph more than capable of providing the frantic backbeat required to emphasise the dual Holt/Altus guitar crunch.

The real test however is with newcomer Dukes, and while he doesn’t quite posses the nasal like snarl of Souza, there is a distinct similarity between the two, with Dukes’ adding his own drier and heavier approach to the band. In other words, he’s the perfect replacement if there ever was one.

The lengthy (Eight minute) ‘Deathamphetamine’ positively reinforces Exodus’ return with an amazing array of riff structures, long solos and its heavier and faster pacing, while the twin lead attack (Which really stands out in a major way throughout the album) is best heard within ‘Kharma’s Messenger’.

From here on until the end, there’s not a single moment where Exodus falters or falls below expectations, with tracks such as ‘I Am Abomination’, ‘Going Going Gone’, ‘Now Thy Death Day Come’, ‘44 Magnum Opus’ and the title track ‘Shovel Headed Kill Machine’ in particular standing out with an extra injection of venom, thus dispelling any fears in fans’ preconceptions that Exodus were a spent force with their new line up.

Shovel Headed Kill Machine is a crushing album, and one that more than lives up to the legacy that encompasses the name Exodus.

» exodusattack.com