After YouTube blocked the clip over what it deemed graphic violent content, Exodus went ahead and released their new music video for “3111” online via the social media platform X (formerly Twitter). The thrash metal veterans addressed the situation yesterday (January 21st), explaining that the video failed to comply with YouTube’s community guidelines. According to the band, multiple revisions were made in an attempt to satisfy the platform’s requirements, but none were sufficient to clear the video for approval.
They also explained that both the song’s lyrics and the video’s imagery were inspired by the ongoing cartel drug war violence in Ciudad Juárez, Mexico. The band commented on the matter yesterday, stating:
“We decided to go hard with the leadoff single, ‘3111‘. The song is about the narco killings in Juarez, and ‘3111’ is the estimated number of murders for 2010 alone.”
Exodus guitarist Gary Holt also noted that the band has been developing a toned-down, censored cut of the video in hopes of getting it approved by YouTube. The track acts as the lead single from the group’s twelfth studio album, Goliath, which is scheduled to arrive on March 20th.
With Goliath, Exodus present what they describe as their most band-driven and collaborative album to date. The record marks another powerful chapter with the return of frontman Rob Dukes, whose vocal performance the band has hailed as the strongest of his career. Songwriting duties were shared more evenly than ever before, with material contributed by multiple members and reinforced by select guest appearances.
Among the album’s highlights is “Hostis Humani Generis”, a volatile anthem driven by Dukes’ cutting delivery, followed by “The Changing Me”, which blends crushing riffs with melodic tension and features guest vocals from Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain). Guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus unleash precision dual-lead work throughout the album, while Tom Hunting and Jack Gibson anchor the material with relentless rhythmic force.
The massive title track “Goliath” slows the tempo into a more ominous crawl, enhanced by haunting string arrangements performed by violinist Katie Jacoby, while tracks like “Beyond The Event Horizon” and “2 Minutes Hate” deliver classic thrash ferocity with modern bite. The nearly eight-minute “Summon Of The God Unknown” expands the album’s scope further, shifting between punishing heaviness and dark melodic passages before the record closes on the unhinged intensity of “The Dirtiest Of The Dozen.”
Reflecting on the album as a whole, Exodus shared the following statement:
“Are we excited for this record? That’s an understatement. We put everything we had into this record (and it’s 80 percent complete follow up, but we’ll save that conversation for another day!) and it’s one of our proudest accomplishments. Wildly collaborative, the most band centric album to date with four songs written by Lee, lyrics by Gary, Rob, Lee and Tom, and just killer all the way around. The time to let the monster loose is coming! Bow Down!”
Goliath was produced by Exodus themselves and mixed and mastered by Mark Lewis (Whitechapel, Nile, Undeath), delivering a sound that balances modern precision with the raw intensity that has defined the band since Bonded By Blood reshaped thrash metal in 1985.
More than 40 years into their career, Exodus show no signs of slowing down — instead choosing to push forward with one of the most focused and aggressive records of their legacy.
Goliath track listing:
- “3111”
- “Hostis Humani Generis”
- “The Changing Me” (feat. Peter Tägtgren)
- “Promise You This”
- “Goliath” (feat. Katie Jacoby)
- “Beyond The Event Horizon”
- “2 Minutes Hate”
- “Violence Works”
- “Summon Of The God Unknown”
- “The Dirtiest Of The Dozen”
3111 video. This got banned by YouTube. Let’s see if we’ll be allowed to keep it here. pic.twitter.com/RTV6JM4VP0
— Exodus (@ExodusAttack) January 22, 2026
