EXODUS
Teatro Novedades
Date: Friday Nov, 2, 2007
Text: Carlos Avalos
Pics: Huracan72 (www.huracan72.cl)


Read the review in Spanish Here

Incredible. Simply put: Incredible. This was definitely vengeance for that disastrous show back in 1998 when Exodus visited Chile for the first time. But let’s forget about that and concentrate on this second visit that I think is way up high with the great presentations of Death, Morbid Angel and Cannibal Corpse. I am going as far as to say that this has been one of the best shows I’ve ever seen down here in Chile. I am not exaggerating, I’m being completely just and fair. When something’s this good you just gotta praise it. Exodus surely deserves it. Not only did the band play the Bonded by Blood album in it’s integrity; an unexpected gift to the fans, but also played for two hours and fifteen minutes, demonstrating a commitment, an attitude, we hadn’t seen for a while. So you kinda get pissed when bands come over here and they put an hour long show or even less. We’ve heard the typical excuse: “Nobody can play this kind of music for more than an hour and thirty minutes”. Exodus proved them wrong. And what was truly impressing was to see the band rejuvenated and with power, force and overflowing enthusiasm and stamina. Of course the public, some one thousand fans, had something to do with all this. The moshs did not stop. They went on until the very last song. And it wasn’t just a common mosh. No, this was done in circles like a centrifugal machine. Everybody was jumping like crazy, in a way, recreating The Toxic Waltz lyrics!!! The fans had a ball, no doubt about it, and it was contagious. The band caught the virus and in the end everybody won. The sound, impeccable. Who said Novedades Theatre had bad acoustics? Another myth that Exodus powdered to dust.

Another thing that speaks well of Exodus is that the band is with a new album, The Atrocity Exhibition Exhibit A. This means the band is alive and kicking. And don’t be surprised if we get Exhibit B soon. Of course old die hard fans will always consider that the band has not surpassed the classic albums, specially Bonded by Blood, but does that really matter when the fact is that the band has released since it’s revival three outstanding albums and that now we can actually talk about the “new classics”?, like “War is my Shepherd” that was played on this memorable concert, or “Tempo of the Damned”, a cut that we missed! But what the hell. The show just as it was deserves no remark. Excellent. Everything, from the beginning, with “Bonded by Blood”, followed by “Deliver us to Evil”, until the end, with “The Toxic Waltz” and “Strike of the Beast”, and everything else in between, including a couple of cuts from the new album, like “Bedlam 1-2- 3 ” , deserves nothing but a blue ribbon. Feeling hateful? There we had “Seeds of Hate” from the Pleasures of the Flesh album, and “Fabulous Disaster” from the album of the same name. And let’s not forget that not a single song was missed from Bonded by Blood. And no, this was no Bonded by Blood Tour. Had the band marketed it that way you could surely have bet that the theatre would’ve been jam-packed. But it seems this is not the style of Exodus, that all throughout their career have been sort of a “street wise blue collar no bullshit no posing shit” band. And they don’t even have a rock star attitude!!! Such modesty really surprises!!! And it’s just so unfair these guys aren’t the rock stars they surely deserve to be.

Ok, now to the technical shit. For this presentation Exodus came with only two original members, Gary Holt; guitarist, composer, soul and absolute commander in chief of the band, and Tom Hunting on drums. The other three members are Rob Dukes on the vocals, Jack Gibson on bass and ex HeathenLee Altus on guitars. For those that don’t know Heathen, check them out!!! It’s one kick ass thrash metal band from the 80´s. This line-up, even though it’s not the classic one, had no problems whatsoever to revive all the great classic songs. Hails to Lee Altus for being one all too worthy replacement for Rick Hunolt. But Rob Dukes shines too. And even though some might miss Paul Baloff (R.I.P.) or Steve Souza, Dukes convinces fully, and with the stage diving he did, well, not only did he win the fans affection, but also proved to be the man Exodus needed. Not short on attitude, he’s right there with Billy Milano, from S.O.D.

And that’s all I got to say. Simply spectacular. Exodus Attack!!!!!

Carlos Avalos.