There's a version of Goliath that could have been a victory lap. A comfortable record from a band deep into their career, proof-of-life without real risk. Exodus didn't make that album.
Goliath, their thirteenth studio record and first for Napalm Records, drops March 20 with Rob Dukes back in front of the mic — his first studio appearance with the band since Exhibit B: The Human Condition in 2010. The gap covers sixteen years, two albums with Steve "Zetro" Souza, and a parting of ways in January 2025 that, in hindsight, set the table for something unexpectedly sharp.
What they delivered is a focused, aggressive record that earns its title without apology.
The Dukes Factor
The immediate question coming into Goliath was whether Rob Dukes could slot back in without it feeling like a reunion novelty. The answer arrives inside the first thirty seconds of opener "3111": no, it doesn't feel like a novelty. It feels like he never left.
Dukes sounds rangy and hungry throughout. His lower-register roars — more prominent here than anything since Shovel Headed Kill Machine — sit perfectly against Gary Holt and Lee Altus's down-tuned, bruising guitar work. He barks, shifts register, and on "The Changing Me," opens up with melodic vocal harmonies that are genuinely surprising without feeling forced. Tom Hunting contributes additional harmonies on that track, alongside guest Peter Tägtgren — and the result is the closest Exodus have ever sounded to a proper anthemic chorus without sacrificing any of their aggression.
Dukes also sounds less like he's performing and more like he's communicating. That matters on an album this dense.
Gary Holt's Riff Machine, Upgraded
Goliath is the most collaborative Exodus record in years. Gary Holt remains the anchor — his guitar playing is as merciless as ever — but Lee Altus wrote the music for nearly half the album, and the expanded songwriting room shows. Tracks feel more individually distinct than anything on Persona Non Grata.
"Hostis Humani Generis" hits early and fast, chainsaw-riffing that barely pauses to breathe. It's a statement-of-intent track, barreling through without apology. "Beyond The Event Horizon" is arguably even faster — a track that feels like it's testing the limits of how tightly four humans can lock in at that speed.
Then there's "Promise You This." It's catchy. Genuinely, aggressively catchy — with a bass undertone that pushes through the mix and a groove that lands closer to classic heavy rock than straight Bay Area thrash. It's also unmistakably Exodus. The ability to pull that off without losing the band's identity is harder than it looks, and Holt and company make it sound effortless.
Where It Goes Different
The title track itself is the most divisive moment on the record. It's slow, heavy, and deliberately Sabbath-influenced — featuring violinist Katie Jacoby in a move that nobody saw coming. It works, mostly because Exodus have earned the right to their curveballs at this point ("Architect of Pain," "Slow Rider"). Making it the title track is the boldest statement on Goliath: here's who we are, here's where we're going, and we're not apologizing for any of it.
"Summon of the God Unknown" stretches toward eight minutes and doubles down on the heavier, chugging direction — a long-form excavation that rewards patience. Most tracks sit in the four-to-six-minute range, giving the record a density that doesn't drag.
It's worth flagging something up front: this record was mixed by Mark Lewis, not Andy Sneap. The switch breaks a streak of more than three decades. The result is a slightly different sonic texture — thicker bottom, less precise high-end attack. Whether that's a step forward or sideways depends on what you wanted from an Exodus record in 2026.
The Bigger Picture
The timing of this album is loaded with context. Tom Hunting is approaching five years cancer-free, and his drumming on Goliath is a reminder that great drummers don't always get the credit their instrument deserves. He plays with authority throughout — nothing perfunctory, nothing coasted.
The band's touring schedule around this album is aggressive: supporting Megadeth on the Canadian leg of their farewell run, supporting Kreator on the European leg of the Krushers of the World tour, and slotted alongside Sepultura for their North American finale. These are not supporting-act-era bookings. These are appearances on the biggest stages thrash has occupied in years.
Goliath gives them something to stand behind at those dates. It doesn't reinvent anything. It doesn't need to. It takes four decades of Bay Area thrash credibility and reminds anyone who may have forgotten that Exodus still know exactly how to use it.
8/10 — Mature, focused, and uncompromising. Goliath is not a career peak, but it earns its spot in the catalog without hesitation.
Goliath is available now via Napalm Records and on Amazon.
