UMUR "Impact Is Imminent" is the 4th full-length studio album by US, California based thrash metal act Exodus. The album was released through Capitol Records in June 1990. It´s the successor to the band´s most commercially successful release "Fabulous Disaster" from 1988. There´s been one lineup change since the predecessor as original drummer Tom Hunting has been replaced by John Tempesta.

"Impact Is Imminent" continues the raw and energetic thrash metal style of "Fabulous Disaster (1988)", but either the band didn´t have enough time to write catchy material before entering the studio or they had just run out of ideas, because the songwriting on "Impact Is Imminent" pales in comparison to the songwriting on the predecessor. Sure there are the occasional killer riff or a catchy vocal phrase or chorus featured on "Impact Is Imminent", and it´s by no means a badly composed album, but it´s still a far cry from the sheer class of "Fabulous Disaster (1988)".

Unfortunately the same goes for the quality of the sound production, which is not on par with the high quality production job on "Fabulous Disaster (1988)". Exodus have gone for a more raw and authentic sound, but "Impact Is Imminent" ends up sounding a bit thin. I realise I sound a bit negative, and when compared to the predecessor that´s also fully warranted. It is Exodus we are dealing with here though, and of course even their lesser releases have an overall standard that´s higher than most contemporary releases. They are simply put a class act.

So even in my most negative hour I am not going to rate "Impact Is Imminent" low. It´s still a quality thrash metal release featuring razor sharp riffs and blistering leads, powerful rhythm work, and Steve "Zetro" Souza´s distinct sounding raw vocals in front. A 3.5 star (70%) rating is deserved.

Kingcrimsonprog The fourth Exodus album, Impact is Imminent is not as immediate as its awesome predecessor. The band took their new grooving sound and added a big dose of speed, resulting in a mix between the styles Bonded by Blood and Fabulous Disaster, but with an incredibly heavy guitar sound.

The production is pretty decent and Steve’s vocals are slightly harsher than on previous albums and the music is of a very high quality, however the album is definatly a grower, as songs seem to be structured in such a way that they can take repeated listens to get familiar with, which can give a bad first impression.

Like all Exodus albums, Impact Is Imminent is not without its flaws, for example the album contains cheesy lyrics, cheesy artwork, a muddy bass sound and drummer John Tempesta isn’t as good a fit for the band as Tom Hunting was. These flaws are not great enough to spoil the album however and shouldn’t put anyone off trying the album out.

Slight flaws aside, the album is pretty fantastic, especially where guitars are concerned; the lead guitar work is excellent and the album does contain lots of quality guitar solos and a few really excellent riffs. Most people’s problem with the album is that the it riffs away without evolving or being significantly inventive, however I find that the songs hold up well on their own and do not require a fresh angle. It’s classic Exodus at its most…Exodus and I for one enjoy that.

Standout songs include the anti-drink driving Title Track, the speedy ‘Thrash Under Pressure,’ and the semi-epic ‘Heads They Win (Tails They Lose)’

Overall, this album is a really good example of what Exodus do best; plain, straight up Bay Area Thrash Metal with no gimmicks. If you like the band, Impact is Imminent will not disappoint.

Time Signature Lunatic parade...

Genre: thrash metal

Another release by Exodus, jampacked with old school authentic thrash metal tracks. This album has everything a classic thrash metal album should: angry yelled vocals (with a twist, because Zetro can actually sing), fast riffs, fast drums, and chaotic guitar solos.

While just as aggressive and brutal as its predecessor, there is more focus on mid-tempo songs on this album with "Impact Is Imminent", "A.W.O.L.", "Changing of the Guard", and "Thrash Under Pressure" being the only fast tracks. While the two former are very strong tracks, I think that the two latter ones sound a bit bland - especially, "Chaging of the Guard", which I think is the weakest track on the album. The midtempo tracks are much better, and much more inspiring - especially "The Lunatic parade", "Objection Overruled", and the aptly titled "Heads They Win (Tails You Lose)". "Within the Walls of Chaos" is also quite interesting, and contains some very Pantera-like groovy riffage.

Productionwise, I really like the guitar sound on this on. It is really dirty, and if the guitar distortion on "Fabuous Disaster" was razor sharp, then it is as sharp as a ninja's katana, rushing through the air of the torchlit night just before severing your head from your body. I really like that sound, but, unfortunately, we are back at the lousy drum production of "Pleasures of the Flesh" (well, almost), and the reverb-ladden snare takes up most of the space on this album. But, given that the guitar is more defined on "Impact is Imminent", the snare drum does not totally suppress it.

I would recommend this to all fans of good ole thrash metal!