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British Disaster, The Battle Of '89 (Live At The Astoria)

Exodus
British Disaster, The Battle Of '89 (Live At The Astoria)

[Album]
24 May 2024
Thrash Metal

Discogs

Library Status Complete FLAC 16bit/44.1khz CD
'British Disaster, The Battle Of '89 (Live At The Astoria)' is a live album by Exodus. It was recorded at The London Astoria on March 8, 1989 during the band's Fabulous Disaster tour.

TheBigBlack Review
(22 June 2024)

Rating - 4 Stars

Exodus suffered a number of unlucky setbacks in the 80s, and many believe this is the reason their early 1990s output suffered in the quality department. Whilst substance abuse probably had more to do with their downfall that lady-luck, it does pose many 'what if?' scenarios, one of which being 'what if this was released back in 1989 when it was recorded?'. Performed at London's Astoria with locals Acid Reign on support, this is a document of a band undisputably at its peak, and the performance is intense and brutal, reminding us that Exodus really deserved a place alongside the likes of Slayer and Metallica. This is the line-up most see as the band's peak - the twin lead of Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt held steady by Rob McKillop on bass and Tom Hunting on drums, and of course the razor-blade vocals of Steve Souza at front of stage. From the moment the first note of 'The Last Act Of Defiance' is played you can see the sweat-filled pit break in your mind's eye, and that familiar head crushing guitar tone only Exodus can dial into rips into your brain. The next hour and a quarter is filled with a selection of fan favourites from all three of the band's albums at the time, and although it is quite heavy with tracks from Fabulous Disaster (the album being toured), it doesn't skimp on earlier material. The songs are frenzied, but still tight, with the Holt and Hunolt (the 'H Team' as they were known at the time) perfectly in-tune with each other, delivering the riffs and solos on the earlier material with perfect precision regardless of the lighting speed. Hunting's drumming is insanely fast, with double kicks on songs like 'Fabulous Disaster' seemingly otherworldly. The energy bubbles throughout, and even on longer tracks like "An Then There Were None' and 'Like Father, Like Son' that slow the tempo, the band doesn't slow the intensity. With a mouth full of gravel and broken glass, Souza's vocals hold up well, and at no point in the high-energy show do the band feel fatigued. About the only thing that doesn't hold up is the between songs banter, which like most U.S. thrash bands of the time is full of cringe-worthy rants about violence and politicians. Closing with crowd favourite 'Strike Of The Beast' the whole thing ends in the same style it started, brutality, and then it is gone, and the time capsule is again closed. Archival releases like this are often just a way to clear the vaults, and act like a passing curiosity - but this album is more than that. It's rough-hewn edges and sheer sonic force reminds us of a time when metal wasn't about anything more than banging your head and making some loud and wonderful noise. Thankfully 35 years on Exodus are still doing just that.
Tracks:  
(1/1) 1.
Exodus - The Last Act Of Defiance [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (04:53)
(1/1) 2.
Exodus - Fabulous Disaster [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (05:06)
(1/1) 3.
Exodus - 'Til Death Do Us Part [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (04:26)
(1/1) 4.
Exodus - Corruption [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (06:03)
(1/1) 5.
Exodus - The Toxic Waltz [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (04:57)
(1/1) 6.
Exodus - A Lesson In Violence [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (04:11)
(1/1) 7.
Exodus - Chemi-Kill [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (05:10)
(1/1) 8.
Exodus - Piranha [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (03:57)
(1/1) 9.
Exodus - Like Father, Like Son [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (07:08)
(1/1) 10.
Exodus - Deliver Us To Evil [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (07:45)
(1/1) 11.
Exodus - Parasite [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (04:41)
(1/1) 12.
Exodus - And Then There Were None [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (04:59)
(1/1) 13.
Exodus - Verbal Razors [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (04:48)
(1/1) 14.
Exodus - Brain Dead [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (04:42)
(1/1) 15.
Exodus - Strike Of The Beast [Live, 8 March 1989, at The Astoria, London, England, U.K.] (04:31)

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