Exodus
- GENRE: thrash metal
- COUNTRY: USA
“Everybody’s doing the toxic waltz” – the lyrics of one of their biggest hits announce, and they are talking about, you guessed it, going feral in the mosh pit. Exodus is sure to deliver, they are, after all, the absolute legends of thrash metal. Despite many obstacles they had to face along the way, they are still here, serving genre-exemplary riffs and tempos. Absolute legends.
History:
The career of Exodus began in 1979. Initially, the band played mostly at parties, offering a style akin to that of the classic heavy metal. In 1983, after releasing their second demo, Hammet left the band and joined Metallica’s forces. After a couple more rounds of lineup changes and a slight delay, in 1985, the band’s debut album, Bonded by Blood, saw the light of day. Till this day, it is counted amongst the greatest thrash records of all time and brought Exodus a lot of promotional and touring fanfare. It turns out to be too much, however, for the vocalist, Paul Baloff, who is replaced by Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza.
With a new screamer behind the sieve, the California group released Pleasures of the Flesh to a lukewarm reception, but also an outright hit in the form Fabulous Disaster, with the music video for its promotional single ‘The Toxic Waltz,’ regularly airing on MTV. In the 90s, the band fell into a slump, and with conflicts and misunderstandings abounding, Exodus met their Maker. They only came back for good in 2001. The new levels of popularity that they’ve enjoyed in their second life are in no small part due to the album Tempo of the Damned, which put wind in their sails – after the album’s recording, Zetro left the band and would rejoin the ranks only in 2014. The subsequent records were also warmly received by critics, including the San Francisco band’s latest album, released in 2021, Persona Non Grata.
Discography:
Full albums:
Bonded by Blood, 1985
Pleasures of the Flesh, 1987
Fabulous Disaster, 1989
Impact Is Imminent, 1990
Force of Habit, 1992
Tempo of the Damned, 2004
Shovel Headed Kill Machine, 2005
The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A, 2007
Let There Be Blood, 2008
Exhibit B: The Human Condition, 2010
Blood In, Blood Out, 2014
Persona Non Grata, 2021
Demos:
1982 Demo, 1982
Die by His Hand, 1983
Rehearsal ’83, 1983
A Lesson in Violence, 1984
Pleasures of the Flesh, 1986
Singles:
Deranged, 1987
Objection Overruled, 1990
The Lunatic Parade, 1990
Thorn in My Side, 1992
War Is My Shepherd, 2003
Riot Act, 2008
Hammer and Life, 2010
Salt the Wound, 2014
No Love, 2019
Salt the Wound, 2021
Body Harvest, 2022
Shudder to Think, 2022
Blacklist, 2023
Clickbait, 2023
Downfall, 2023
Splits:
MTV Headbangers Ball, 1989 (z Helloween i Anthrax)
Concrete Music Bloc Volume II September ’92, 1992 (z Kyuss, Faster Pussycat, Skew Siskin i Warrant)
Another Lesson in Violence / Bound Gagged and Blindfolded, 1997 (z Skinlab)
Victims of Death – The Best of Decade of Chaos, 1999 (z Dark Angel, Death, Forbidden i Possessed)
The Art of Dying / Tempo of the Damned, 2004 (z Destruction, Death Angel i Dew-Scented)
Sworn to a Great Divide / The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A, 2007 (z Soilwork)
Best of Nuclear Blast: 20th Anniversary, 2008 (z Meshuggah, Testament, Kataklysm, Arsis i Equilibrium)
Bob Wayne / Exodus, 2011
Label Showcase – Nuclear Blast, 2012 (z Origin, Decrepit Birth i All Shall Perish)
Elder Gods, 2015 (z Sepulturą)
Mr. Pickles Thrashtacular, 2018 (z Municipal Waste)
Gathered at the Altar of Blast, 2018 (z Immolation, Corrosion of Conformity, Kataklysm, Possessed i Municipal Waste)
Maximum Metal vol. 267, 2021 (z Rhapsody of Fire, Kissin’ Dynamite, Møl, Feuerschwanz i Rising Insane)
Live albums:
Good Friendly Violent Fun, 1991
Another Lesson in Violence, 1997
Live at the DNA 2004 (Official Bootleg), 2005
British Disaster: The Battle of ’89 (Live at the Astoria), 2024
Compilations:
A Lesson in Violence, 1991
Lessons in Violence, 1992
Tempo of the Damned / Shovel Headed Kill Machine, 2016