Exodus aren't easing into album week. Two days before Goliath hits shelves, the Bay Area thrash institution has dropped the video for "Promise You This" — the third and final single from their 12th studio album.
The track is pure Exodus: cyclonic riffs from Gary Holt and Lee Altus, turbocharged dual soloing, and Rob Dukes commanding the front with the kind of ferocity that made his return to the band one of 2025's biggest stories in thrash.
The Story Behind the Song
Holt kept it personal this time. The band said in a statement:
"Promise You This" is one of our favorite songs on the new record, it's just heavy as fuck but rocks just as hard. The song was inspired by some of the life lessons learned from my father and how long it took me to really listen.
That's Holt at his best — channeling something real through riffs that could level a building. No theatrics, no gimmick. Just weight.
It's also a sharp contrast to the title track, which leaned into epic territory with Katie Jacoby's violin work, and "Hostis Humani Generis," which was pure venom from the jump. "Promise You This" sits somewhere in the middle — aggressive enough to start a riot, melodic enough that the hook stays with you after the riffs stop. That balance has always been Exodus at their peak, and it's no accident they saved this one for last.
The video itself matches the energy — raw performance footage, no narrative gimmick, just five guys who've been doing this longer than most bands have existed proving they still mean it. Rob Dukes in particular looks like a man who knows he earned this second run. There's nothing casual about it.
Goliath Drops Friday
The album arrives March 20 via Napalm Records. It's been produced by the band themselves, mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis (Whitechapel, Nile, Undeath), and features guest appearances from Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain) on "The Changing Me" and violinist Katie Jacoby on the title track.
Early reviews are already stacking up. Spark Rock Magazine called it "a relentless, uncompromising collection of thrash metal anthems — a pure masterpiece," while Metal Hammer Italy said the "Californian pioneers of thrash metal return hungrier than ever." That kind of consensus doesn't happen by accident — especially not 40 years into a career.
And the band isn't underselling it either: "We put everything we had into this record — and it's 80 percent complete follow up, but we'll save that conversation for another day." Translation: they're already working on the next one. For a band that went seven years between Persona Non Grata and Goliath, that's a statement.
Tracklisting:
- 3111
- Hostis Humani Generis
- The Changing Me (feat. Peter Tägtgren)
- Promise You This
- Goliath (feat. Katie Jacoby)
- Beyond The Event Horizon
- 2 Minutes Hate
- Violence Works
- Summon Of The God Unknown
- The Dirtiest Of The Dozen
Goliath will be available in multiple vinyl variants — including a glow-in-the-dark white pressing limited to 300 copies through EMP, and a picture disc gatefold. The boxset edition (embossed, limited to 1,000) includes the CD, a band poster, cover art flag, guitar picks, and a patch.
Pre-order Goliath from Napalm Records or find Exodus on Amazon.
Exodus on Tour
Exodus hit the road with Kreator, Carcass, and Nails for a full EU/UK run starting March 20 in Lisbon, then return stateside with Sepultura in late April for a 20+ date US run. Key US dates include Montreal's MTELUS (May 1), Chicago's Ramova Theater (May 15), Denver's Ogden Theatre (May 21), Berkeley's UC Theatre (May 28), and The Wiltern in Los Angeles (May 29) — a hometown-adjacent closer that should be one of the thrash shows of the year.
The EU/UK leg runs through late April, hitting London's Brixton Academy (March 27), Frankfurt's Jahrhunderthalle (April 5), and Warsaw's COS Torwar (April 15) before the US run kicks off April 29 in Montclair, NJ. Full dates at exodusattack.com.
More Exodus coverage: Goliath album preview | Gary Holt on 45 years with Exodus | Tom Hunting: five years cancer-free
