Description
Double album on black vinyls with gatefold cover
Blood In Blood Out, Exodus 10th studio release, continues their fruitful partnership with producer Andy Sneap. The vicious, razor-sharp riffing of guitarist Gary Holt (now also deputizing for the sadly-departed Jeff Hanneman in Slayer) is married once again with the spitting, angry vocals of Zetro. Another previous band member – a certain Kirk Hammett – also contributes a searing solo. Older fans will know that few bands can deliver 11 tracks with the same unbridled intensity as Exodus, while newer fans will be open-jawed at their relentless energy. Holt, Hunting, Gibson, Altus, and Souza prove they still has the fortitude, chops, and talent to deliver top-notch, ballad-free tunes that stand out without straying from their bands core aesthetic. The title of the album encapsulates Holts approach to Exodus: When I was working on the record, I was sitting around watching TV series like Gangland and all these locked-up prison reality shows, he says. And I thought, Yeah, thats like Exodus. Its a brotherhood. You bleed to get in, you bleed to get out. Ive been doing this kind of music since I was a teenager and Ill be doing it unil I cant physically do it anymore. Holt has lost none of the rage and hunger he had in his teens and hes long since mastered his craft. The eleven pulse-pounding tunes on Blood In Blood Out are among Exodus best, signalling a rebirth as much as an evolution. Although Holt has spent the last few years playing second guitar for Slayer on tour, he has never forgotten where he came from and his priority and dedication to Exodus. The evidence is written all over the album, which is rife with speed, fury and memorable riffs. The title track storms out of the gate with chunky, rapid-fire guitars, hammering beats, and gang vocals on the chorus, not to mention the signature vocals of longtime singer Steve Zetro Souza, who recently returned the band. Salt The Wound is slightly slower but equally fierce, with a contagious refrain thats sure to be a future crowd shout-along as powerful as the one in the bands classic Bonded By Blood. Food For The Worms is a six-plus-minute gem with a martial intro that segues into a speedy thrash section perfect for street brawls and headbanging alike. The rest of the song features slower mosh-worthy parts, immaculately crafted rhythmic changes, and searing guitar harmonies. After the complex thematic series The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A (2007) and Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010) – which featured epic songs and riffs that morphed like cyborgs from the film Terminator Salvation – Blood In Blood Out is as easy to grasp as a machete with finger notches in the handle. It was always my grand vision to do a two-part Rush/King Crimson epic of thrash metal, and we did it, Holt proudly exclaims. I kind of got that out of my system, so this time I wanted everything to sound more natural, shorter, and to the point. Get in and get out. So this one is a little more to the roots. Maybe some of that old Bonded By Blood influence came out and its heavy as fuck, but thats the way we like it. Adding significantly to the tone and attitude of the album is Souza, who sang with Exodus from 1986 to 1992, and again between 2002 and 2004. Souza replaced Rob Dukes, who left after nine years with the band. It was the hardest thing this band has ever had to do in our lives, Holt says. It sucked to have to do it, but we were no longer on the same page on a lot of things. It needed to be done for the band to continue. Instead of working with unknown entities, Exodus decided to ask Souza – who had already performed with the band on five albums – to come in and try out. Blood In Blood Out is a showcase of steely determination, unparalleled skill, and unrefined rage. Back in the early days, I was like: Stand in the way and youll get steamrolled over by Exodus Souza says. Its that way again. Dont stand in the way of this. You will get run over! I guarantee it.
Track list:
1. Black 13
2. Blood In Blood Out
3. Collateral Damage
4. Salt The Wound
5. Body Harvest
6. BTK
7. Wrapped In The Arms Of Rage
8. My Last Nerve
9. Numb
10. Honor Killings
11. Food For The Worms