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EXODUS “Goliath”
EXODUS “Goliath”
By Dr. Abner Mality
Few albums have taken a more torturous path to release than “Goliath”. I was ready for a new EXODUS album three years ago, but it’s been setback after setback leading up to the album finally dropping in 2026, not the least of which was replacing Zetro Sousa with Rob Dukes for the second time.
So this one had a lot to live up to. Does it? Well, my opinion is rather mixed. First listen didn’t impress me all that much, but the record as a whole has grown on me.But there are songs that really click and others that just kind of lie there. It’s an EXODUS album for sure and that counts for a lot, but I would place this in the middle of their discography.
Opening salvo “3111” is angry and heavy and Dukes is loaded for bear, but this doesn’t have much of a hook to it. EXODUS’ thrash has always been built on catchy hooks and I didn’t think this qualified. “Hostis Humani Generis” ups the speed and technicality, which is good, but the album really first grabs me with “The Changing Me”. which kind of reminds me of the epics on “Impact Is Imminent”. When it switches from the arpeggiated build up to a straight crushing riff, it’s like a punch in the gut. The vocals are clearer and not the pure snarling Dukes usually hits you with. An interesting song, even if the sing-song chorus is rather strange. The following track “Promise You This” is on the average side and reminds me of the long defunct band PANIC with its funky groove.
The title track is a slow, oozing monstrosity packed with crunching riffs. There’s a cool cello part that enhances the doomy heaviness, too…this emerges as one of my favorites. “Beyond The Event Horizon” dials up the heat with a real heads down thrasher that still manages some grandiose moments. This would be a great live song. “2 Minutes Hate” finds the band trying for a “Toxic Waltz”/”Brain Dead” groover and getting mighty close. Jack Gibson’s bass really propels this one and Jack’s work is maybe the best I have ever heard. “Violence Works” tries for another “funky” type thrasher but meanders around without a major impact.
The album’s real epic is “Summon The God Unknown” and it’s a real highlight. There’s more melody than usual, but it’s far from a ballad. It’s like some of the longer songs on prior Dukes albums like the two “Atrocity Exhibitions”. It’s a toss up whether this or “Beyond the Event Horizon” is the best on the album. “Dirtiest of the Dozen” winds things up with a fast paced scorcher that has an almost deliriously happy feel to it at times.
I think any long time EXODUS fan will enjoy “Goliath” and that includes me, but after such a long wait, I was expecting something even more massive.
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