EXODUS
“Persona Non Grata”
Album Review by Iron Mathew

10/10

Exodus are a thrash metal band from the USA formed in 1979 – instrumental in creating the genre of music we know (and love) as thrash. The band have enjoyed four decades at the forefront of the thrash metal scene – releasing eleven albums. The bands 1985 debut ‘Bonded By Blood’ is highly regarded as one of the genres most influential albums. The band have gone through numerous line-up changes and two break-ups during their forty year plus career, and are known as one of the pioneers of thrash – alongside Anthrax, Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Death Angel, Overkill, and Testament.

The bands current line-up consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, singer Steve “Zetro” Souza, drummer Tom Hunting, and bassist Jack Gibson. ‘Persona Non Grata’ is the bands eleventh album, featuring twelve songs over an incredible sixty one minutes! Exodus have a reputation for searing aggression and high velocity songs – ‘Persona Non Grata’ is non stop ferocity from start to finish. Opening with the seven minutes plus title song ‘Persona Non Grata’, Exodus launch straight into a ferocious tirade of aggression – Steve “Zetro” Souza’s terrifying vocal delivery full of snarl and menace. Exodus have stayed true to the roots of thrash metal, and remain in high regard among their peers. Without stopping for breath, the album rockets on with ‘R.E.M.F’ – the electrifying pace unrelenting as it scorches the Earth. ‘R.E.M.F.’ is actually faster than the opening salvo, the worldwide mosh pits a frenzied mass of head banging maniacs! Exodus are well and truly back, and back doing what they do best – thrashing the fucking hell out of ya!

‘Slipping Into Madness’ keeps the fireworks exploding left, right, and fucking centre. The barrage of savagery is immense, the raucous rampage unforgiving, and the menace the band inject into every thing they do will have some of the lightweight metal heads diving for cover. I dunno ’bout slipping into madness, I think I’m slipping into a thrash metal vortex! A whirlwind that is just beginning, and is only getting stronger and stronger. With a brutal hammering, ‘Elitist’ hits hard, very hard. The most brutal song heard so far, ‘Elitist’ is frantic, manic, and dangerously atomic. Now, for all those metallers who are still cowering behind the sofa from the menacing ‘Slipping Into Madness’, you may just wanna stay there, because ‘Prescribing Horror’ is frightening, and may just make you do a number in your pants! The vocal snarl is mixed with sinister growls to deliver a stomach churning tirade of terror.

‘The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)’ is not the normal kind of motivation workers are looking for – but hey, if it works, bring it on! Exodus are ferocious in their execution of ‘The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)’, and I’m a little fearful as to what object, implement, or tool they’re gonna use to deliver the beatings! But you can rest assured the band are gonna be unforgiving in their pursuit of improving morale. Opening with the most “heavy metal” riffing on the entire album, ‘The Years Of Death And Dying’ is a mid tempo monster of heavy hitting proportions. The menacing streak running through the album remains unbroken, as ‘The Years Of Death And Dying’ rumbles on to a conclusion. Electrifying pace comes to the fore once more as ‘Clickbait’ sets a tremendous pace, rampaging like a herd of wild rhino – destroying anything, or anyone, foolish enough to stand in the way. But then, you know us die hard metal heads, we’ll stand firm and scream “bring it on”.

‘Cosa Del Pantano’, is a guitar twanging one minute intro that leads into the eight minute long ‘Lunatic Liar Lord’ – a frantic furore of fierce ferocity. The intensity level is as high as it has been since the album began, along with the furious pace and menacing vocals – everything you’d expect from an Exodus record. Exodus – just like Overkill, Testament, and Kreator – do not let you down, continually delivering high quality, high velocity thrash metal. Scorching pace continues to light up the album, this time in the mighty shape of ‘The Fires Of Division’ – another song displaying a “heavy metal” style of riffing, alongside the trademark Exodus snarl and sneer. It’s hard to believe the album is heading for the final song, time has just evaporated due to ‘Persona Non Grata’ (the album) being such a great listen. For the final hurrah ‘Antiseed’, Exodus are on familiar ground, delivering aggression and menace in abundance – all with a brutality that is gonna break bones and crush skulls. There has never been – and I reckon there never will be – another band to match the Exodus sound. The band are an original, with the mould smashed to smithereens after the recording of ‘Bonded By Blood’. All hail Exodus!

Overall, an hour of aggression fuelled thrash metal from one of the genres greatest bands, full of snarl, sneer, and terrifying menace.

TRACKLIST

Persona Non Grata
R.E.M.F.
Slipping Into Madness
Elitist
Prescribing Horror
The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
The Years Of Death And Dying
Clickbait
Cosa Del Pantano
Lunatic Liar Lord
The Fires Of Division
Antiseed

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