Exodus
SHOVEL HEADED TOUR MACHINE
Nuclear Blast Records

Since Exodus came back, there’s been a lot of haters out there; specifically when they replaced Zetro Sousa with vocalist Rob Dukes.  Still, I’ve personally found the Dukes era to be, possibly, the strongest of all the Exodus material.  Certainly, it’s been the heaviest.  With that said, the driving force of the band (guitarist Gary Holt) has seemingly reinvented himself and brought far more fire and creativity to his playing with each and every release.  While I’m a recorded fan of the band, the case with Exodus has always been how they translate to the live setting.  It’s their bread and butter.  

Listening to their latest live effort SHOVEL HEADED TOUR MACHINE, it’s kind of “eh”.  Having seen this lineup before live, it’s pretty clear to me that SHOVEL HEADED TOUR MACHINE is a no frills, no overdubs release that presents Exodus exactly how they are live.  That said though, what’s missing is the energy that comes from the stage when you are standing in front of it, sweating your ass off and thrashing about for an hour or so.  Simply, there’s just more to an Exodus show than the audio from the speakers.  Unlike a lot of bands who’s only ability is their musical prowess, Exodus is an live experience that just doesn’t fully translate to a recorded work.

This is not to say that SHOVEL HEADED TOUR MACHINE is not a solid effort.  It definitely is.  The band tears through songs like “Deathamphetamine” and “Strike Of The Beast” with the hyperspeed and frenetic energy that has been their staple since they broke out of the Bay Area in the early 80s.  Holt’s rifling riffs dominate so many of the songs here that you can’t help but wonder just why he’s not generally mentioned with the most elite in the genre.  Add to this the ridiculously fast and perfectly steady drumming of Tom Hunting, and you can see why songs like “Shovel Headed Kill Machine” just blast out of the Ipod.  

The real problem though comes with Dukes.  That said, his performance is fine on SHOVEL HEADED TOUR MACHINE.  He’s a raw, gravelly screamer throughout with an even more sinister edge than he has on studio recordings.  The problem though is what gets lost in the mix.  Simply, seeing Dukes live you know that he is one of the most commanding frontmen in all of thrash.  He demands maximum energy and effort from the crowd with so much passion that most give in to his demands at each show.  You hear him barking out commands to the crowd here, but it just doesn’t translate.  I’m not sure how to explain it, but the reality is that he’s just yelling a lot of the time here to the listening ear.  I’m positive that being in front of him as he commands the crowd is awesome (I’ve seen it first hand, and boy is he a dominator live), but on an audio recording it just doesn’t work.

PITRIFF RATING – 7/10 – I’m going to guess that for a hardcore fan of the band, this is better to have than some bootleg because the sound is recorded well.  Reality being what it is though, it’s impossible to capture the energy of an Exodus show anywhere but in front of the stage.  SHOVEL HEADED TOUR MACHINE is good, but for me does little more than confirm where I’ll be the next time they come to town.  Solid, but it just doesn’t translate brilliantly.

Chris Akin

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