Tempo of the Damned is the first Exodus studio album to accredit founding guitarist Kirk Hammett for a song ("Impaler").

Despite never officially rejoining the band, Hunolt filled in for Holt for European tour in the summer of 2012 due to the latter's commitments with Slayer, and made a guest appearance on their eleventh studio Persona Non Grata (2021).

Hammett brought one of "Impaler"'s riffs to the Metallica song "Trapped Under Ice", which was released on their 1984 album Ride the Lightning.

Music videos were filmed for the songs "War is my Shepherd" and "Throwing Down," which largely consists of a jam performance.

Tempo of the Damned received a positive review from AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia, who awarded the album three stars out of five, saying "all of the much loved Exodus hallmarks are here: lyrics filled with biting, sarcastic social commentary: no-fuss, jagged thrash metal; and unparalleled technical precision."