Review by Rexorcist for Exodus - Bonded by Blood (1985)

In the eyes of many metalheads, heaviness can be a more defining factor than writing ability.  This is why some more simplistic albums, like Kreator's Pleasure to Kill, are more well-received than many of their more creative efforts later on.  So since this is Exodus' debut, it's not much of a surprise that a few of the songs have the same tempo and vibe.  This album helped to push the limits of what was generally accepted in metal at the time.  You can tell from the structures of the songs that these guys listened to a fair bit of that old-fashioned NWOBHM stuff like Iron Maiden, which explains the thankful focus on melody and riffs being handled and treated like equals.  That's a difficult thing to do for a lot of thrash bands.  Unfortunately for me, I'm a Metallica guy, and I'm that way because their golden age is diversified, exceptionally poetic and has a vocalist who doesn't need all those effects to maintain a form of power.  I'm certain this singer here's done that without effects on other albums, but it was a faint distraction for me.

Now if I wanna pump myself up, I might choose a couple of songs from this album for the sake of that.  The fact that each song goes for the same vibe, core and genre does in fact mean it's not a very creative effort in that vein, but the balance of melody and riffs is quite impressive, ensuring that Bonded By Blood is a consistently great effort and a good example of how to do thrash right, even if it's technically just one way.