This is by far my favourite thrash album. The songs, the sound, the riffs, the lyrics, it's the full package in my opinion. Figured it should get its own thread in these newly established "classic" forums, since it doesn't get more classic than this puppy.

Discuss.

If I listen to Exodus it's always Another Lesson In Violence, pretty much the same as Bonded but just better versions of those songs. The demo with Hammet is pretty cool too on a boiling hot day with a head fulla acid, close as I'll get to experiencing the original bay scene.

Always my #1 choice for the ultimate thrash tape. It often gets overlooked. It was recorded in 1984 but didn't come out for almost a year after. If it had come out sooner, the impact would have been much greater. By the time it was officially released a lot of people already had it from tape trading and there was a ton of bands switching from Priest/Maiden style metal to full on thrash.

The whole band is killer but it's the insane vocals of Paul Baloff that make it so special. He really captures the belligerent fuck you metal attitude that makes you proud to show up at a lame party and get instantly ejected for teaching the jocks a lesson in violence.

Garth, that was a haiku.

This is a haiku -

Bonded By Blood, bro
such a fuckin kick ass tape
that screams war and pain

This guy's REALLY good.

It was never the same after Bonded by Blood. Souza was an automatic fart machine. RiP Baloff.

They still had their moments afterwards. "Toxic Waltz" is a great tune.

I agree with you 100% on that. I know a lot of people who like those tapes but I always thought they were lame. I hated "Toxic Waltz" and especially their cover of War's "Low Rider." One of these days I'll get around to checking out some of the more recent tapes.

Here's another haiku for you -

vintage Exodus
heavy metal maniacs
get high by my hand

I jest, sort of...

Like Father, Like Son and Architect of Pain are two badass post-Baloff tunes that come to mind. The new stuff with Dukes is pretty sick too. But they'll never top that moment in '85 when they opened up for Motorhead right after BbB came out. They were the best thrash band out there for 15 minutes.

Here's a bit of trivia for you. Rob Dukes used to play guitar in a ska punk band called The Cheatin' Soccer Moms that opened for the 2nd ever Mighty High gig way back in June, 2003 at the Continental in NYC.

Nice! Yeah that would have been the period right after Baloff died (they had been doing reunion shows with him in the early '00s) and Dukes joined Exodus. Not a bad gig after playing for the cheatin soccer moms hahahaa....

first thrash album i loved, this is where it's at. my favorite all time though is Darkness Descends by Dark Angel.

That's my second favourite, and I was going to start a thread on that album as well. That's total win in my book.

I found a sealed vinyl copy with the original cover for $8 a couple of years ago. Well worth it.

I am a huge fan of Exodus. HUGE fan. But how did we have this many comments on this album without acknowledging that the production on the record septic tank shitty. Its famous for having terrible production. I can't listen to it without cringing at what could have been in the guy recording it wasn't drunk and/or coked up and/or legally blind and mostly deaf.

I feel i have failed never having heard this tape. I shall rectify this week. I heard some later ones and wasn't that jazzed. The dude in Hammers of Misfortune says really nice things about'm in a Thrash documentary tahts kinda an "unoffical" Mettalliccaa thingie.

definitely one if not the best thrash album of all-time. they were the real deal. In that Thrash or Be Thrashed documentary, it's great hearing about how crazy and violent their early club shows were. I wish I would've seem them in the early days. Just glad I got to catch Baloff before he died on that reunion tour in Boston. These days Gary Holt is still tearing it up. The Exhibit B album this year was very good.

it's great hearing about how crazy and violent their early club shows were.

Got that right. Never seen so many bloodied up faces as I did at the early Exodus, DRI, & Vio-lence shows.

I was lucky enough to hang out with these guys on their tour a couple of years ago. I was working the night shift at a small pizza joint and next door is this bar that has a lot of metal acts come through. Well the band was given a compd meal through my work and so when I delivered their pizzas (like 20 or so) we began talking and they invited me back after my shift to chill and hang out back stage as they played. I got their new CD for free, The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A (new at the time, they all signed it, and I got free booze for the evening. It was a blast hanging out with them, and although I was mostly ignored (I'm not so arrogant to assume the band was that interested in me) it was sweet to talk heavy metal and touring with the group (as I am an ex-roadie I did have something to say on the matter).

Anyway, that is my soapbox, just saw the Exodus thread and felt the need to share.

Here's a video I made last time I went to see Exodus.