Exodus' most praised album, ''Bonded by Blood'', is surely a classic. But I'm going to go ahead and get something off my chest, its not my favorite Exodus album. It has its flaws. The quality is the most obvious one. People will say that it doesn't make a difference if the quality is horrible or if the quality is great! This is, in a way, true, but it is a flaw none the less. The line up, on the other hand, is flawless for this particular record! Rob Mckillop does a fine job of laying down the basslines with a burning desire to perfect the song while doing so. Tom Hunting, my 2nd favorite drummer, does outstanding as always! Though the drum beats are more clearly heard in the album's re-recording, ''Let There Be Blood'', he still kicks you in the face with his unmistakeable style, which consists of Thrash's most impressive drum fills! Rick Hunolt incorporates a very bluesy and jazzy feel into his solos, which in return, gives them a very unique vibe for Thrash solos. He accompanies them with heavy use of the whammy bar as well as classic metal shredding parts. Paul Ballof has his sole appearance on this album, and he makes the most of it. His vocals aren't the easiest to love, but give it a couples listens and you'll begin to appreciate his high screams, low growls, and constant pitch changes. He couldn't have done a better job for this album! And the backbone of the band is Gary Holt! One of Metal's greatest guitarists. He writes the majority of the songs and really knows how to do so! His solos, unlike Hunolt's, are less blues/jazz based, and more shred based! He also incorporates heavy tremolo into the solos, even more than Hunolt for a matter of fact! The two soloing together is nothing less than magnificent! An amazing album that never gets old!! |