Even in my die-hard thrash days I rarely lent an ear to the rumblings of Exodus, it was always the vocal delivery I found off-putting, that gravelled rasp against the backdrop of pounding mosh. Strangely, the same feelings do not emerge here, and I'm loving the far more dense sound of this record, as seeming long gone are the more party orientated funsters of 'Fabulous Disaster' which had me and my cousin stage diving onto our beds...for about one song! The title cut is a real bruiser, stirling guitar work, a thick cloud of heavy thrash on the horizon and an air of seriousness. 1990 may have been a time when thrash was being consumed by death metal, and metal in general was being consumed by a more arty and intelligent way of rockin', so no doubt this record wouldn't have made the impact it's title suggested, but I'm glad that many aeon's later I can revel in its power. Such bands were always meant to stick to their guns, or simply quit, Exodus, who were left behind when the 'big four' found their stadiums, remained rooted, almost stagnant, but they can be proud of this as a skull cracker. 'Within The Walls Of Chaos' is a major spine-splintering highlight whilst over on Side 2, 'Only Death Decides' is a hostile plodder if ever there was one. At times Anthrax come to mind in some of the construction, but gladly Exodus have cast aside the comical, which for me was Anthrax's worst enemy, and on 'Impact...' they've elevated themselves once again to the major thrash league, a league they really should have claimed all those wasted years ago...
7.5/10
1 comment:
I love the fact that I was on the highway from the cover photo this morning! East Bay!
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