Review & Photography by Andy Payne
“Who’s here to support thrash metal?” Considering the bands on tonight’s roster it would be a surprise if anybody wasn’t, but I guess it’s nice to check these things. Luckily for Katon De Pena the crowd respond with a unanimous cheer which is just as well because HIRAX are thrash metal personified.
Thick metal chains adorn the drum kit which takes centre stage, chrome skulls sit atop amps on either side and the guitarist flails his flying-v in the air like it’s trying to run away from him.
Singer and sole original band member De Pena is 60 going on 25, a whirlpool of energy and enthusiasm racing up and down the stage as if his life depended on it.
The band kicks off all guns blazing opening with Hellion into the feverishly fast Blind Faith and then treating us to new song Drilled Into The Brain.
It is a set that combines both the old and the new, featuring three songs from 1986’s Hate, Fear and Power album and three from new album Faster Than Death.
Due to a slightly delayed start, De Pena is in constant fear of running over, but that only spurs the
band to play each song as fast and hard as they can.
The singer reminisces about how they grew up playing backyard parties and promises their fans that they will be back soon to play a much longer set.
Making the most of the limited time that they have, De Pena pushes the stage monitors to the side so that his guitarist can treat us all to a fantastic solo before the singer then climbs onto the barrier and steps out onto the trusting support of the fans at the front.
It is a really heartwarming sight to witness, although my heart skipped a beat watching him trust fall back
down onto a panicked steward.
When the band are finally told that their time is up they are given a joyous ovation and instead of walking backstage the group instead climb down from the front and join the fans for the remainder of the show.
Exumer keep the energy levels rising with an added level of aggression opening with 2016’s The Raging Tides and then following up with Journey To Oblivion from 30 years earlier.
As Men Von Stein screams for the crowd to start a circle pit, he raises his phone to capture the moment. As the set continues he uses the same trick again repeatedly, each time pressuring for a larger pit.
We haven’t played here in 10 years, but fuck it was worth it,” he smiles to the cheering crowd before adding “We’re taking you back to 1985.” Much like the HIRAX set before, their set is split between their debut album and more recent material as Exumer are not only celebrating a landmark anniversary but also making up for lost time.
There is an emotional tribute to Motörhead’s Lemmy to whom they dedicate Catatonic, before they then introduce a song about a saint who has fallen called (wait for it)… Fallen Saint. They may be celebrating 40 years as a band, but Exumer show no sign of slowing down as they ramp up the tempo even further with speed metal racers Vermin of the Sky and Dark Reflections back-to-back.
As their set draws to a close Von Stein tells us how a recent festival performance had gotten so aggressive that an ambulance had been required and assures us “We don’t want that,” he then takes a breath before adding “Having said that, I want you all to go crazy for this last song,” and the band close out with the
title track to their debut Possessed by Fire.
Call me old fashioned, but there is a certain kind of feeling that you get from seeing a wall of Marshall amps that you just don’t get at many metal shows anymore, especially not in venues with a capacity less than a thousand.
The only part of the stage that isn’t a speaker is reserved for Tom Hunting’s goliath drum kit which has two giant pentagram-emblazoned kick drums.
Exodus are just seconds into opener Bonded By Blood when the crowd surfers start flying over the barrier
in Wayne’s World regularity and once frontman Steve Souza has gone through the ground rules of
mosh safety they continue to glide over the crowd for the entirety of the thrash icon’s relentless 16
song run.
London you never cease to amaze us. We’ve played every venue here. Thank you for supporting Exodus.” The love that Exodus show towards their fans is part of what makes this show feel so special and they are on sensational form tonight.
Guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus are heavy metal royalty in their own right and it is awe-inspiring to be able to see them up close and personal in such an intimate venue.
Both men have multiple moments to shine on every song as they blaze through some of the fastest solos in heavy metal. Gary Holt in particular gets a shoutout from Souza later in the set which gets the loudest cheer of the night as the crowd pays homage to the man behind some of the most famous riffs in thrash history.
As Souza dances around Holt and mimics his soloing it is great to see Exodus having so much fun on stage.
To the side, Jack Gibson hammers away at his bass guitar whilst towering over the microphone for his
gang vocals.
Without a doubt, the most imposing member of the band, even he can’t help but let the facade slip away as he grins at the shouting fans by the barrier.
There is one song from the Baloff era, Deathamphetamine during which Souza rushes to fist bump as many crowd surfers as he can.
After which the band then switched to the fantastically sinister Prescribing Horror off their most recent album.
With Souza’s shadow looming over the side of the venue like Nosferatu, it is a genuinely haunting track and a notable shift from the rest of the setlist proving that Exodus still aren’t afraid to push the boundaries 40 years into their career.
As it does on the album, the song comes to a close with the terrifying sounds of babies crying and for the only time that night, the crowd falls silent.
Who says we go old school? From now on, nothing after 1990!” Starting off with Impact is Imminent, a song they haven’t played live in 30 years, Exodus fill the second half of their set with some of the most formative songs in thrash history.
The mosh pit doubles in size for Fabulous Disaster and after 3 false starts and a tease rendition of the start of Raining Blood the band jump straight into The Toxic Waltz arguably the catchiest chorus of the night and another opportunity for the mosh pit to continue growing.
The show comes to a close with Strike Of The Beast which is accompanied by a giant wall of death, a perfect end for one of the most energetic crowds I have seen in a long time.
Next year marks the 40th anniversary of debut album Bonded by Blood and Souza bids farewell with the promise that “We’ll see you very soon and remember, Heavy Metal Forever!”
With twelve albums under their belt, Exodus has remained one of the most consistent bands in Thrash Metal and a shining example of how not to rest on your laurels. Long may their success continue, hopefully they keep to their word and return to the UK sooner rather than later.