{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2025}} {{Infobox album | name = Impact Is Imminent | type = studio | artist = Exodus | cover = Impact Is Imminent.jpg | released = July 10, 1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/CMJ/1990/|title=Upcoming Releases|work=CMJ New Music Report|page=76|date=July 6, 1990}}</ref> | recorded = December 1989 – January 1990<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fullinbloommusic.com/biography-exodus-band.html |title=Exodus – Biography – Bonded By Blood – Gary Holt – Paul Baloff – Kirk Hammett |publisher=fullinbloommusic.com |accessdate=2016-08-26 |archive-date=February 9, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190209103746/http://fullinbloommusic.com/biography-exodus-band.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> | studio = {{Collapsible list|title={{nobold|Various}}|{{unbulleted list||Music Grinder, Hollywood|Record Two Mendocino, Comptche|Alpha & Omega Recording, San Francisco|Record Plant, Los Angeles, California|Earwax Productions}}}} | genre = Thrash metal | length = 49:47 | label = Capitol | producer = The H-Team (Gary Holt, Rick Hunolt) | prev_title = Fabulous Disaster | prev_year = 1989 | year = 1990 | next_title = Good Friendly Violent Fun | next_year = 1991 }}
'''''Impact Is Imminent''''' is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus, released on July 10, 1990. This was Exodus' first album on Capitol Records as well as their first album to feature John Tempesta on drums. It was also the last studio album 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. ''Impact Is Imminent'' 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.<ref name="metallipromo">{{cite web |url=http://www.metallipromo.com/ex.html |title=Exodus Shows |accessdate=2013-07-06 |publisher=Metallipromo}}</ref> Exodus was part of two major tours: in August 1990, they toured the U.S. with Suicidal Tendencies and Pantera, and three months later, they toured Europe with Flotsam and Jetsam, Vio-lence and Forbidden.<ref name="metallipromo"/> The band wrapped up the tour on December 28, 1990 at The Fillmore.<ref name="metallipromo"/> Exodus were supposed to open for Judas Priest on their ''Painkiller'' tour in Europe in early 1991, but due to financial issues, they were forced to withdraw from the tour and replaced by Pantera.<ref name="metallipromo"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://metallipromo.com/pantera.html |title=Pantera Shows |accessdate=2017-06-04 |publisher=Metallipromo}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.machinehead1.com/blogs/the-general-journals/gary-holt-exodus-slayer-on-no-fn-regrets-podcast|title = Gary Holt (EXODUS, SLAYER) on No F'n Regrets Podcast| date=April 30, 2020 }}</ref> The band was also reportedly offered, but turned down opening for Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax on the North American leg of Clash of the Titans tour as a replacement for Death Angel, who were ultimately replaced by a then-lesser known Alice in Chains.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://bravewords.com/news/megadeth-and-the-birth-of-the-rust-in-peace-lineup-rare-video-interview-with-dave-mustaine-and-david-ellefson-surfaces|title=MEGADETH And The Birth Of The Rust In Peace Lineup; Rare Video Interview With DAVE MUSTAINE And DAVID ELLEFSON Surfaces|publisher=Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles|access-date=March 7, 2024|date=September 16, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/bay-area-thrash-metal-heroes-bay-strikes-back-tour-testament-exodus-death-angel/|title=Bay Area thrash-metal titans share the stage at the San Jose Civic|publisher=CBS News|access-date=March 7, 2024|date=October 10, 2022}}</ref>
==Reception== {{Music ratings |rev1 = AllMusic |rev1score = {{Rating|1.5|5}}<ref name="allmusic">{{cite web |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/impact-is-imminent-mw0000690033 |title=Exodus - Impact Is Imminent review |last=Rivadavia |first=Eduardo |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network |accessdate=2021-06-11 }}</ref> | rev2 =''Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal'' | rev2Score = 7/10<ref name="martin" >{{cite book | last = Popoff | first = Martin | author-link1 = Martin Popoff | title = The Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal: Volume 3: The Nineties | publisher = Collector's Guide Publishing | date = August 1, 2007 | location = Burlington, Ontario, Canada | page=146|isbn = 978-1-894959-62-9}}</ref> | rev3 = ''Select'' | rev3Score = {{rating|3|5|full=U+25A0.svg|empty=U+25A1.svg|rating=medal}}<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Griffiths |first=Nick |date=September 1990 |title=Exodus: ''Impact Is Imminent''|magazine=Select |issue=3 |page=80}}</ref> }} ''Impact Is Imminent'' received a negative review from AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia, who called it "the most forgettable album of Exodus' career."<ref name="allmusic"/> Canadian journalist Martin Popoff appreciated Exodus' "adherence to an older, lost speed metal rant" and wrote that fans might want to come back and revisit songs that were quickly skipped in favour of more "pushier works".<ref name="martin"/>
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.<ref name="allmusic charts">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/exodus-mn0000125822/awards |title=Exodus Awards |work=AllMusic |publisher=All Media Network |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121123041229/http://www.allmusic.com/artist/exodus-mn0000125822/awards |archivedate=November 23, 2012 |accessdate=2021-06-06 }}</ref> Until the release of ''Blood In, Blood Out'' in 2014, ''Impact Is Imminent'' would be Exodus' last album to enter the ''Billboard'' 200.<ref name="allmusic charts"/>
Guitarist 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."<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/eOt0jnLyWMY Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200620123943/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOt0jnLyWMY Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=4&v=eOt0jnLyWMY&feature=emb_logo| title = NFR #031 - Gary Holt (Exodus, Slayer Guitarist) | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==Track listing== {{Track listing | all_writing = Exodus | title1 = Impact Is Imminent | length1 = 4:20 | title2 = A.W.O.L. | length2 = 5:44 | title3 = The Lunatic Parade | length3 = 4:14 | title4 = Within the Walls of Chaos | length4 = 7:45 | title5 = Objection Overruled | length5 = 4:34 | title6 = Only Death Decides | length6 = 6:07 | title7 = Heads They Win (Tails You Lose) | length7 = 7:43 | title8 = Changing of the Guard | length8 = 6:49 | title9 = Thrash Under Pressure | length9 = 2:38 | total_length = 49:54 }}
==Personnel== ;Exodus * Steve "Zetro" Souza – vocals * Gary Holt – guitars * Rick Hunolt – guitars * Rob McKillop – bass * John Tempesta – drums
;Production * Gary Holt – production * Rick Hunolt – production * Csaba Petocz – engineering * John Bush, Lewis Demetri, Chris Fuhrman, Andy Newell, Jim McKee – additional engineering * Steve Heinke, Lawrence Ethan, Shawna Stobie, Ulrich Wild, Casey McMackin, Manny Lacarrubba – assistant engineering * Marc Senesac – mixing at Alpha & Omega * Stephen Marcussen – mastering at Precision Mastering
==Charts==
===Album=== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" |- !scope="col"|Chart (1990) !scope="col"|Peak<br>position |- |{{album chart|Billboard200|137|artist=Exodus|rowheader=true|accessdate=March 11, 2021}} |- |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
{{Exodus(band)}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Exodus (American band) albums Category:1990 albums Category:Capitol Records albums