Testament, one of the greatest names in thrash metal, officially returned late last month with its latest album, Goliath. The band’s 13th album, it is a powerhouse presentation that established and new fans alike will find appealing thanks to its musical arrangements and its lyrical themes, as its singles – ‘Goliath,’ ‘3111’ and ‘Promise You This’ – have already proven. They are just a snapshot of how much the album has to offer. ‘Hostis Humani Generis,’ does just as much to make this clear, as does ‘Beyond The Event Horizon’ with its own powerhouse musical body and unique social commentary. ‘The Dirtiest of the Dozen,’ which closes out this standout album, also enhances its presentation. Each song noted does its own share to engage and entertain audiences. When they are considered alongside the album’s singles, and other songs, such as ‘Violence Works’ and ‘The Changing Me,’ (and the rest of the album’s entries) the whole therein makes Goliath easily one more of this year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.
Goliath, the latest full-length studio recording from Exodus, is a presentation that just as with each of its records, continues to fully exhibit just what makes this band one of metal’s elite acts. The singles that this record has produced have already proven that to be the case. They are just some of the songs that make that clear. ‘Hostis Humani Generis,’ one of the album’s early entries, is another example of what makes this album so impacting. Clocking in at just under five and a half minutes, the song’s musical arrangement is everything that audiences have come to expect from Exodus throughout the years. It is a searing, full-throttle composition that is just as much the band’s own work as it is a presentation that is comparable to works from fellow thrashers Slayer. The cutting guitar solo, the precision in the time keeping, the equally powerful vocals and even the bass line here make the song in whole fully immersive.
The fire in the song’s musical arrangement is perfect companion to the song’s lyrical content, which centers on a person who is just hateful, evil, and vile. It explains why the song’s title translates from Latin to ‘Enemy of Humanity.’ The person addressed here certainly sounds like a certain hate filled, evil individual in the White House. This as front man Rob Dukes states of the person, “Forsaken/Villainous/Despicable/Impulsive/Volatile/Unpredictable/Descriptions all the rats have used for me/the word that’s never used is empathy/I couldn’t give a f*** about how I act/My actions/Or the ones that they impact/My hostility brings peace of mind/I am the enemy of all mankind.” The current “President of the United States” certain sounds a lot like this individual. Whether that was the intent here is anyone’s guess. The thing is that there are lots of people out there just like that person, so it could apply to anyone. Having that in mind, the fire in this presentation does well to help people deal with such people.
Dukes continues of the person, “I wanna paint the town red/In chaos and bloodshed and revelry/I wanna kill the fatted calf/Bathe in the bloodbath and the applause/I wanna set the town on fire/And do what I desire/And end them all/I wanna give what they deserve/Exterminate them all and have a ball/Go on a tear/ Without a care/Live it up and celebrate/I choose hate.” That last line, “I choose hate” sounds just like the convicted felon in the White House, considering he has openly said “I hate my enemy” while also claiming himself to be deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize and a Christian. Again, whether the band was addressing said individual or others like him, the song is still hard hitting just as much for this damning indictment of personality as for the equally fiery musical arrangement that accompanies the song.
‘Enemy of Humanity’ is just one of the many songs presented in Goliath that makes the album memorable and powerful. Another notable entry to the record comes later in its run in the form of ‘Beyond The Event Horizon.’ The opener for the album’s second half, this song’s musical arrangement is just as intense as anything else on this record. The band wastes absolutely no time jumping into the fire here. The group’s performance is like a musical whiplash on listeners that lasts just over five minutes. Even in the moments when the song slows down and turns into a more trudging metal style presentation its impact is not lost at all. The whole is a work that rests easily on its own merits.
The musical arrangement featured here is just part of what makes the song stand out. The social commentary contained within its lines adds even more to its impact. The commentary in question is centered, interestingly, on the destructive power of a black hole, believe it or not. This sounds odd, perhaps, even nihilistic, but it makes sense. As Dukes sings here, “Black hole of death/The destroyer of life/Air turns to fire/It’s the end of mankind.” He further adds of the black hole’s power, “Forever the darkness/With silence/The death/Universe collapses/Under weight of the black/Gravity explodes/Bones turn to dust/Everything is nothing/Existence is crushed.” Again, this certainly sounds nihilistic, but it is meant to make a point as Dukes later states, “Wars fought for nothing/The religion and lies/Holocaust of the heavens/Of all space and time/Crushing weight of the darkness/A vice on your cerebral mass/Beyond the event horizon/You are gone.” What Dukes is saying here is that yes, there is something big and bad out there that has the ability to wipe out all humanity without even trying. To that point, all of the wars that humanity has ever fought have been for nothing. All of the negative that religion and its lies have brought have been for nothing because ultimately there is something far greater and scarier out there. The whole thing is meant to make a person stop and really think existentially to a point. It is meant to make a person really contemplate the idiocy of all of the hate and negativity and how little it has really accomplished. Keeping that in mind, this song becomes even more notable to the whole of this record. It further shows just how much this record has to offer audiences and does so in full.
Yet one more example of how much Goliath has to offer audiences is ‘The Dirtiest of the Dozen.’ This song, which barely tops the five-minute mark (five minutes, nine seconds to be exact), is unique in that throughout that run time, it does not come across as the typical thrash style work for which the band has come to be known. The guitar riff performed throughout the arrangement’s first roughly 90 seconds actually feels almost surf rock in style. Audiences who really actively take in the song and focus on the riff will catch that unique touch. From there, it turns to a more late 80s, almost fun thrash style than something intense.
Interestingly enough, that approach makes some sense, considering the song’s lyrical theme, which actually comes across as being quite familiar and accessible. It’s that almost celebratory type message. This is inferred as Dukes sings here, “Straight from the gutter/We are the brothers of the blood/Creators of the violence/In an unrelenting flood/We started out with nothing/When the s*** hit all the fans/We begged, borrowed, and stole/To support our f****** band/We dove headlong into the belly of the beast/A never ending story/A life on which we feast/The time too vast to measure/At night our greatest pleasure/Is the rage that we let out/It’s not about the fortune/Even less about the fame/It’s all about the crushing/That’s etched upon our name/A gang of super heavy/Dysfunction absolute/The dirtiest of the dozen/We proudly give to you.” Again, this is a familiar theme that so many bands have hit on throughout their careers. It is that celebration of the past while looking to the future, noting they do it not for the money and fame but for the love of what they do. And Exodus has done a lot, needless to say. From there, Dukes goes on to note the band has gone through the worst, is still here and will keep going until it cannot do it anymore. It is a love letter of sorts to fans, letting fans know this band is here to be here for as long as it can keep going. This is a statement that audiences are sure to appreciate along with the more lighthearted vibe of the song’s musical arrangement. When the whole is considered along with the other songs examined here and that whole along with the album’s singles and the rest of the record’s body, that whole makes Goliath easily one more of this year’s top new hard rock and metal albums.
Goliath, the latest full-length studio recording from Exodus, is a record that is sure to please the band’s established audience base and new listeners alike. This is proven through the record’s musical and lyrical content alike. Each of the songs examined here make that clear, as do its trio of singles and the rest of the record’s entries. All things considered, this record is easily just as powerful and memorable as any of Exodus’ existing records. Additionally, it is easily one of the best new hard rock and metal albums released so far this year.
Goliath is available now. Exodus is touring Europe in support of the album and will bring its tour to North America beginning Apr. 29 in Montclair, NJ. The tour is scheduled to run through May 29 in Los Angeles, CA and includes stops in cities, such as Greensboro, NC; Denver, CO and las Vegas, NV. The band’s tour schedule and more information on Exodus’ new album is available along with all of the band’s latest news at:
Website: https://exodusattack.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/exodusattack
Twitter: https://twitter.com/exodusattack
PHOTO CREDIT: Exodus 2026 Promo Photo by Jim Louvau and Album Art courtesy Napalm Records- All Rights Reserved