I liked the band's 2021 album, but I have not given Rob Dukes much of a chance, despite having worn out the band's first three albums during high school. On the opening track, he is going for the higher snarl that is what helps defines this band's sound then on the second song, he begins to do his own thing a little more, and the song it self is not as inspired as the first track which was such ripping thrash that it caught be by surprised while raising the bar for this album. This is recaptured on "The Changing Me," which chugs along in a more compelling manner.
Between the sometimes harsher vocals and the nature of the guitar harmonies, they have managed to gracefully update their sound for 2026. This is a little less carried over into "Promise You This," which has a more rock n roll feel. The title track works, but is not what I expect from these guys. It slows down to a doomier pace and has cascades of guitar arpeggios flowing over it. As a contrast, "Beyond the Event Horizon" is a more rapid fire thrashing, in fat it's the fastest song so far. Which I prefer more of a groove, but understand why some fans might seek this out.
Dukes sings more than screams on "2 Minutes Hate". This adds to the overall dynamics and makes it the album's second-best song, with the opener still holding the lead for that title. They start "Violence Works" off with more groove. The one thing Gary Holty has brought over from Slayer is the need for a killer guitar tone. Given the Slayer connection, I am surprised they are not bigger than they are, even for a thrash band that was not big on compromise. The first album, they have refined their sound in a more accessible direction with each album until "Fabulous Diseaster".
"Summon of the God Unknown" opens with the album's most Slayer-like track, resembling the early years very little. In fact, it reminds me more of Pantera, who are playing stadiums, so they obviously have an effective formula. But this is an Exodus album, so I want things to sound like Exodus, which they have already shown me on this album that they are capable of doing. That is not to say the song is not full of killer riffs, but I listen to Exodus to hear killer Exodus riffs.It is impressive that Tom Hunting is bringing it like this after all these years. Dukes is a pretty good metal vocalist who gets the job done, I jsut wish he retained a more Exodus-like style. The last song finds them locked into a more rapid fire thrashing. Maybe what I am looking for is balance, as they do sound more like Exodus here. I will give this album a 9, as they are bringing it in a way that works in 2026, if you asked me if I thought I was going to get more mileage out of this album or the new Megadeth, the answer would be Megadeth, but if yo uare an Exodus fan this is going to bring you what you want even with the curve balls includes which at least prove it's not a total nostalgia fest. Dropping on Napalm Records.
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