Emerging hungrier than ever from San Francisco, California, these Bay Area Thrash legends welcome back frontman Rob Dukes and unleash upon us ten of their most diverse, anthemic emissions to date.

Emerging hungrier than ever from the thrashing city of San Francisco, California, Bay Area Thrash Metal legends Exodus welcome back the unrelenting frontman Rob Dukes, who had previously recorded with the band the albums Shovel Headed Kill Machine (2005), The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A (2007), Let There Be Blood (2008), and Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010), to continue their path of devastation 16 years later with the thunderous Goliath, their twelfth studio album and the follow-up to the critically acclaimed Blood In, Blood Out (2014) and Persona Non Grata (2021). Produced by the band itself, recorded by Juan Urteaga, Mark Lewis and Jesse Fioren, mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis, and displaying a classic thrashing artwork by Pär Olofsson, the newborn beast by Rob Dukes on vocals, Gary Holt and Lee Altus on the guitars, Jack Gibson on bass, and Tom Hunting on drums reinforces the band’s eternal foothold at the top of the Thrash Metal hierarchy with ten of their most diverse, anthemic emissions to date.

You know the album will be insanely dark and heavy after listening to the initial riff in 3111 (and don’t forget to check the uncensored version of the official video), with Rob delivering his trademark demented vocals, adding endless rage and violence to its already visceral lyrics (“Plazas of carnage, bloody rewards / Fields of poppies, gifts from the lord / Act with the Devil, piling dead / Ransom slaying, payment in lead”). It’s then time to open up the pit and get your position for a killer wall of death in Hostis Humani Generis, a Latin legal phrase meaning “enemy of mankind,” with Gary and Lee sounding ruthless with their scorching riffage; and featuring the iconic Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain) on guest vocals, Tom dictates the pace with his hammering beats and fills in The Changing Me, offering over six minutes of pure thrashing heaviness. The band then fires sheer electricity in Promise You This, perfect for some action inside the circle pit while Jack pounds his bass nonstop, followed by the title-track Goliath, just as massive as its name, with Rob once again vociferating the song’s devilish words manically (“Enormous entity / Who feeds on doubts and fears / Colossal creature / Lying dormant all these years / His slumber now disturbed / He begins to rise / He’s here to end our suffering / To see us euthanized”) while guest Katie Jacoby and her strings bring a touch of dark beauty to the overall result.

It’s then pedal to the metal in the venomous Thrash Metal onrush entitled Beyond the Event Horizon, with Tom’s rumbling beats and fills walking hand in hand with another demented riff-attack by Gary and Lee, who also fire their usual striking solos for the absolute delectation of us thrashers from all over the world. 2 Minutes Hate is another song perfect for headbanging like a metalmaniac, with Rob barking rabidly while his bandmates deliver a melodic and classic Thrash Metal extravaganza; and it’s impressive how the band can easily incorporate elements of modern heavy music into their old school Thrash Metal just like in Violence Works, with its beautiful title being complemented by the piercing and thunderous stringed attack by Gary, Lee and Jack. Summon of the God Unknown is a cadenced tune by the band offering their scathing sonority and rebellious lyrics and vibe, with its second half blending Thrash Metal with elements of Southern Rock and Metal, and let’s close the album with a massive circle pit fueled by the band’s unstoppable thrashing riffs in The Dirtiest of the Dozen, also presenting Tom’s undisputed, classic drumming and the always visceral roars by Rob until the song’s devastating ending.

In the end, Goliath beams with the explosive authenticity that has set Exodus eons apart from their peers since the release of their 1985 groundbreaking debut Bonded By Blood and, 40 years later, they’re steadfast in their refusal to settle for the safety of mediocrity, fearing nothing and no one and continuing to forge their trademark just as resolutely as they did in their fruition. I honestly don’t believe there’s a single metalhead out there who doesn’t know Exodus, but just in case don’t forget to check what those thrashers are up to on Facebook and on Instagram, to stream their masterful creations on Spotify, and to grab a copy of the colossal Goliath from BandCamp or by clicking HERE. Welcome back, Mr. Rob Dukes, and thank you for inspiring us to slam into the pit like maniacs together with Exodus. You guys are the undisputed Goliaths of Thrash Metal, no questions asked.

Best moments of the album: Hostis Humani Generis, Beyond the Event Horizon, 2 Minutes Hate and The Dirtiest of the Dozen.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2026 Napalm Records

Track listing
1. 3111 4:08
2. Hostis Humani Generis 5:21
3. The Changing Me 6:14
4. Promise You This 5:19
5. Goliath 5:04
6. Beyond the Event Horizon 5:16
7. 2 Minutes Hate 4:55
8. Violence Works 4:49
9. Summon of the God Unknown 7:54
10. The Dirtiest of the Dozen 5:09

Band members
Rob Dukes – lead vocals
Gary Holt – guitars
Lee Altus – guitars
Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals
Tom Hunting – drums

Guest musicians
Peter Tägtgren – vocals on “The Changing Me”
Katie Jacoby – strings on “Goliath”