Exodus – ‘Goliath’ Album Review

Thrash Metal

Napalm Records

Release Date – March 20^th 2026

Review By Smudge Smith ”

Exodus are back, baby! Not only with a bang – a bloody big one but returning singer Rob Dukes has given the performance of a lifetime. In fact, I would say the whole band has stepped up and produced one of the best they’ve ever done. I am an ardent fan of what Dukes did with Exodus previously and I believe his voice is the most suited to the angry aggressive riffage that Gary Holt and his hoodlum friends produce. There are a few surprises on this record too.

Opener and new single ‘3111’ –had the video pulled from ‘youtube’ even before the first showing due to its violence. So, they have had to re-edit it. Can’t wait to see the ‘directors cut’. The doomy intro sets you up nicely as the razor sharp riffage starts and Tom Hunting batters the living crap out of his kit as Rob Dukes opens his gob and tells you about yourself. Come and ‘ave a go if you think you’re ‘ard enough. There’s only one winner here! Gary Holt and his erstwhile Russian counterpart Lee Altus go through riffs aplenty and dive bomb like Stuka’s dropping shells over Coventry. It’s an abrupt end before ‘Hostis Humani Generi’ takes the baton and crushes everything in its path. Fast and heavy with another ‘fuck you’ vocal from Dukes and a pounding bassline form good ole’ boy Jack Gibson. There’s some more superb axework from Altus and Holt too. ‘The Changing Me’ has a melodic twin guitar harmony as an intro before it grooves along on another nasty riff and some heavy chops before a dual vocal from Hypocrisy/Pain mainman Peter Tagtgren and some sweet melodic solos. ‘Promise You This’ is some real southern thrash and perfect for a Friday night knuckle outside some seedy roadside bar. Fuck this is good and bound get the pit going. The title track is a huge doomy grind and a real departure for Exodus especially with the violin of Katie Jacoby. It’s still monumentally heavy as is ‘Beyond The Event Horizon’ which chugs along at a fair old clip driven along by Gibson’s insistent bass groove before some more white-hot lead breaks which continue on the bouncy ‘2 Minutes Hate’. ‘Violence Works’ brings some thrash/funk with Jack Gibson slapping his bass like a bitch before another chunky riff and Tom Hunting has the most fun behind his kit. We get some more heavy doom on ‘Summon Of The God Unknown’ but it soon changes gears and becomes a metal banger with some fine twin guitar lines. ‘The Dirtiest Of The Dozen’ closes things in fine style with a nasty dose of punch-up metal that Exodus so well. It’s got ‘don’t fuck with me’ all over it.

‘Goliath’ is a perfect title for this because it’s huge. Everything us right up front thanks to a stunning mix and mastering job from Mark Lewis (Whitechapel/Nile/Undeath). Exodus have been going since the early 80’s and they have shown no signs of easing up. The performances on this record are utterly superb especially Rob Dukes. It shows that everyone stepped up to produce one of – if not – the best record of their career.

Track List –

3111

Hostis Humani Generis

The Changing Me

Promise You This

Goliath

Beyond The Event Horizon

2 Minutes Hate

Violence Works

Summon Of The God Unknown

The Dirtiest Of The Dozen