Impact Is Imminent is the fourth studio album by thrash metal band Exodus, released in 1990. Impact Is Imminent was Exodus' first album on Capitol Records as well as their first album to feature John Tempesta on drums, and their last to feature Rob McKillop on bass, though he appeared on their first live album, Good Friendly Violent Fun, which was recorded live in 1989 but not released until 1991. It was re-released in 2008 in a limited edition mini-album packaging to resemble the original vinyl release, including the inner sleeve.
Tour
Exodus spent the latter half of 1990 touring in support of Impact Is Imminent. The band opened for funk rock act Red Hot Chili Peppers (who were labelmates with Exodus at the time) at The Kaiser Center in Oakland on July 21, 1990.[3] Exodus was part of two major tours: in August 1990, they toured the U.S. with Suicidal Tendencies and Pantera (who had just released the most successful records of their respective careers: Lights...Camera...Revolution! and Cowboys from Hell), and three months later, they toured Europe with Flotsam and Jetsam, Vio-lence and Forbidden.[3] Exodus wrapped up the tour on December 28, 1990 at The Fillmore.[3] The band was scheduled to tour in early 1991 with Judas Priest and Annihilator on the European Painkiller tour, but they were dropped from the tour and replaced by Pantera[3][4] because their label refused to pay tour support.[5]
Reception
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [6] |
Impact Is Imminent received a negative review from Allmusic's Eduardo Rivadavia, who awarded the album one-and-a-half out of five stars and called it "the most forgettable album of Exodus' career."[6]
Despite being released on a major label, Impact Is Imminent was not as successful as Fabulous Disaster and debuted at No. 137 on the Billboard 200, Exodus' lowest chart position to date.[7] Until the release of Blood In, Blood Out In 2014, Impact Is Imminent would be Exodus' last album to enter the Billboard 200.[7]
Gary Holt expressed some regret for the album during the making of 2010’s Exhibit B: The Human Condition, stating that "if there was one album I could have back and record again it would be Impact." He went on to praise the album for having "some of the best riffs I've ever written."
Holt restated his opinion of the record during an April 2020 interview with Robb Flynn of Machine Head: "I listen back to Impact Is Imminent, and if there’s one album in my career I wish... I had it back, like it’d never been released, it’s that album, because it’s got some of the best riffs I ever wrote. I mean, the main riff to ‘Impact Is Imminent’ is my favorite riff I’ve ever written. It’s crazy, the string skipping, no one had ever done that shit."[8]
Track listing
All music is composed by Gary Holt.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Impact Is Imminent" | 4:20 |
| 2. | "A.W.O.L." | 5:44 |
| 3. | "The Lunatic Parade" | 4:14 |
| 4. | "Within the Walls of Chaos" | 7:45 |
| 5. | "Objection Overruled" | 4:34 |
| 6. | "Only Death Decides" | 6:07 |
| 7. | "Heads They Win (Tails You Lose)" | 7:43 |
| 8. | "Changing of the Guard" | 6:49 |
| 9. | "Thrash Under Pressure" | 2:38 |
| Total length: | 49:47 | |
Band line-up
- Steve "Zetro" Souza – vocals
- Gary Holt – guitars
- Rick Hunolt – guitars
- Rob McKillop – bass
- John Tempesta – drums
Additional information
- Recorded at Music Grinder and Record Two Mendocino Studios
- Additional recording at Alpha & Omega, The Plant, and Earwax Studios
- Produced by The H-Team
- Recorded by Csaba Petocz
- Mixed by Marc Senesac at Alpha & Omega
- Additional engineering by John Bush, Lewis Demetri, Chris Fuhrman, Andy Newell, and Jim McKee
- Assistant engineered by Steve Heinke, Lawrence Ethan, Shawna Stobie, Ulrich Wild, Casey McMackin, and Manny Lacarrubba
- Mastered by Stephen Marcussen at Precision Mastering
Charts
Album
| Chart (1990) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200[9] | 137 |
References
- ^ "Encyclopaedia Metallum: The Metal Archives – Exodus – Impact Is Imminent". The Metal Archives. Retrieved 2012-02-24.
- ^ "Exodus – Biography – Bonded By Blood – Gary Holt – Paul Baloff – Kirk Hammett". fullinbloommusic.com. Retrieved 2016-08-26.
- ^ a b c d "Exodus Shows". Metallipromo. Retrieved 2013-07-06.
- ^ "Pantera Shows". Metallipromo. Retrieved 2017-06-04.
- ^ https://www.machinehead1.com/blogs/the-general-journals/gary-holt-exodus-slayer-on-no-fn-regrets-podcast
- ^ a b Allmusic review
- ^ a b Exodus – Awards
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=eOt0jnLyWMY&feature=emb_logo
- ^ "Exodus Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard.