Bay Area thrash metal pioneers return with their twelfth studio album and the comeback of Rob Dukes, setting the tone for a monumental new chapter.
by Paul Cashmere
Bay Area thrash metal legends Exodus have confirmed the release of their twelfth studio album Goliath, due out on March 20, 2026 via Napalm Records, marking a significant new era for one of heavy music’s most enduring and influential bands. The announcement arrives alongside the release of the album’s opening track 3111, a blistering statement of intent that underlines why Exodus remain a dominant force more than four decades into their career.
Goliath follows the band’s highest-charting release to date and their first album for Napalm Records, positioning the new record as both a continuation and an escalation of their modern resurgence. With ten new tracks described by the band as among the most diverse and anthemic of their catalogue, the album also heralds the return of vocalist Rob Dukes, whose presence reconnects Exodus with a particularly aggressive and uncompromising era of their history.
The first taste of the album, 3111, is an unrelenting opener that moves from dissonant tension into full-throttle thrash intensity. Lyrically, the song confronts the real-world horror of narco-related killings in Juarez, with its title referencing the estimated number of murders in the city during 2010 alone. It is a stark reminder that Exodus have long grounded their music in uncomfortable realities, pairing speed and precision with pointed social commentary.
The accompanying official video proved so extreme that it was denied release on YouTube, with the band confirming it will be unveiled in full at a later date. The controversy only reinforces the sense that Exodus are operating without compromise, even as their legacy status could easily afford them a safer path.
Watch the Gary Holt statement here
Formed in 1979 in Richmond, California, Exodus are widely credited as architects of the Bay Area thrash metal movement, standing alongside peers who helped define an entire genre. Guitarist Gary Holt, the band’s primary creative constant since the early 1980s, and drummer Tom Hunting, the sole remaining founding member, have steered Exodus through shifting lineups, industry upheaval, hiatuses and reunions, while maintaining a sound rooted in speed, aggression and authenticity.
The band’s early releases Bonded By Blood, Pleasures Of The Flesh and Fabulous Disaster established Exodus as a benchmark for thrash metal in the 1980s, influencing generations of bands and cementing their reputation as ferocious live performers. While commercial success ebbed and flowed through the 1990s, the 2004 album Tempo Of The Damned reignited their profile during the thrash revival of the early 2000s and reasserted their relevance to a new generation of fans.
Rob Dukes first joined Exodus in 2005, debuting on Shovel Headed Kill Machine and fronting the band through a period defined by relentless touring and some of their most abrasive material. His return in 2025, following the departure of Steve “Zetro” Souza, was met with widespread enthusiasm, and Goliath is positioned as a showcase for what the band describe as the performance of Dukes’ career.
Musically, Goliath is also notable as the most collaborative album in Exodus’ history. Songwriting contributions are shared across the band, with guest appearances from Peter Tägtgren of Hypocrisy and Pain, and violinist Katie Jacoby, adding new textures without diluting the band’s core identity. Mixing duties were handled by Mark Lewis, marking the first time in over three decades that Exodus have not worked with Andy Sneap, signalling a subtle but deliberate shift in approach.
Across more than forty years, Exodus have weathered personal losses, industry setbacks and changing musical climates, yet their influence remains undeniable. Often cited among the genre’s “Big Eight” and frequently at the centre of debates about thrash metal’s true pioneers, the band’s legacy is measured as much by the artists they inspired as by the albums they released.
With Goliath, Exodus are not trading on nostalgia. Instead, they are reinforcing their position as a living, evolving band, capable of addressing contemporary themes with the same ferocity that first put them on the map. As 3111 makes clear, Exodus in 2026 are still hungry, still confrontational and still committed to pushing thrash metal forward on their own terms.
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