Exodus

Two men facing the camera, both showing middle fingers. One has long hair and wears a jacket, the other has short hair and wears a watch. Black and white photo.
Interviews

Flashback Interview: GARY HOLT (EXODUS) (2007): “I Don’t Ever Care What The Fans Think, I Care About My Fans, But I Write For Myself”

February 19, 2025 Stig G. Nordahl

In an exclusive, in-depth interview with Metal Express Radio, Exodus guitarist Gary Holt takes us through the band’s explosive journey from Bay Area thrash pioneers to modern metal masters. From revealing the true story behind the delayed release of their landmark debut Bonded By Blood, to discussing his unique songwriting process and dropping hints about the upcoming “nuclear kick” of their next album, Holt holds nothing back. Learn how Exodus helped shape the thrash metal scene alongside Metallica, discover why Holt “doesn’t care what fans think” (yet still delivers exactly what they want), and find out which Exodus album now sells for $75 on eBay. With candid insights about lineup changes, battles with addiction, and the evolution of their sound, this is the definitive Exodus interview that every thrash metal fan needs to read. MER: You were one of the trendsetters of the Bay Area thrash movement back in the early 80s. I know you recorded some demos before your first album that were more melodic or less aggressive. How did the thrash metal style evolve for you? Gary Holt: The early stuff, we only ever did one official demo, the old Whipping Queen demo. Those were Kirk’s songs, and back then the band, especially Kirk’s writing, was far more Iron Maiden influenced. That was before we started delving into the stuff I started writing, which was much more violent. Mercyful Fate and Venom were two of my biggest influences. MER: Were you influenced by other thrash bands around at that time? Gary Holt: No, we tried not to be. Obviously, there were bands that came later where you could just hear Metallica all over them. But us and Metallica were going at it side by side. I think what it came down to was we all loved the same bands, …READ MORE

Exodus 2021
Interviews

STEVE “ZETRO” SOUZA (EXODUS): “This Is Our Finest Moment – It’s Very Violent And Very Brutal”

November 28, 2021 Mick Burgess

Exodus were on tour in Europe with Testament and Death Angel when Covid first took a hold only making it back home by the skin of their teeth the world locked down. While the band have been off the road, they spent the time writing and recording their first album in seven years resulting in the release of Persona Non Grata, which sees Exodus in particularly brutal form. Mick Burgess called up Steve “Zetro” Souza to talk about the making of the album. Covid hit you quite badly at the start of the pandemic when you were over in Europe with Testament and Death Angel? How was that whole experience for you? It happened so fast. All of a sudden, the Italian dates were cancelled and we went straight to Spain. I wondered if things were getting really bad. By the time we got to Belgium it was fully blown. Chuck and his wife were sick and a couple of people on the crew too. When we go home, Will Carroll, Death Angel’s drummer, was in hospital on a ventilator for 16 days and we didn’t know if he was going to make it. Gary Holt got sick too but it didn’t affect him that hard. It was an unfortunate situation. Did you fear that you wouldn’t be able to get home once the lockdown came into force? The whole lock down around the world was strange for everybody. We weren’t able to finish the tour. The last show that we played was in Brussels and there was actually one sold out German date left in Hannover that we had to cancel because of the developing situation. The night we flew home back to The States was the night that the President announced that they were restricting all flights into …READ MORE

EXODUS - Persona Non Grata
Album Reviews

EXODUS – Persona Non Grata

November 21, 2021 Miłosz Mikołaj Nizioł

“Yesterday Don’t Mean Shit” – most Metal fans should know who that song is by. If someone happens not to know – it is the third track off Pantera’s final release Reinventing The Steel and its lyrics are about the turn of the 21st century. Yesterday don’t mean shit, what’s over is over – Pantera sure got that right. And there is a Metal band that confirms it  – that band is called Exodus: back in the good ole 80s, Exodus were a bunch of long-haired boys whose purpose number one was to create fast and aggressive Metal music and consume huge amounts of booze in order to be able to achieve their goal. After numerous lineup changes and two hiatuses, they came back with their 2004 album Tempo of the Damned, which could also be seen as the transition phase between the old and new Exodus. New, that is perhaps a tiny bit less fast than the stuff from the 20th century albums, but definitely more complex, more brutal and more powerful, and just as much of a killer. Most Thrash Metal fans will admit that Exodus are just kickass, be it the 20th or the 21st century Exodus. And in the wake of such bands as Slayer calling it a day back in 2019, Metallica not having released any real Thrash since 1988 and Megadeth kicking their original bassist out in May 2021, the freshly released record Persona Non Grata by Exodus is probably the hottest fast Metal release in a long while. By far! The album starts off with the title track and it doesn’t even take half a minute until the 21st century Thrash madness is unleashed. It is mad how Zetro’s voice barely changed since the 1989 classic Fabulous Disaster. Some claim that he is the Bon …READ MORE

Spotlight

MEGADETH, ANTHRAX, TESTAMENT, EXODUS, MASTODON Members Set For METAL ALLEGIANCE CD-Release Concert In NYC

July 24, 2015 Jay Maran

METAL ALLEGIANCE — the all-star metal band consisting of a rotating cast of musicians, including members of MEGADETH, TESTAMENT — which debuted on MOTÖRHEAD’s Motörboat cruise last year, and performed at this year’s NAMM show and on the ShipRocked cruise, will celebrate the release of its self-titled debut album with a special concert on September 17 at the Best Buy Theater in New York City. The show, presented by D’Addario, will feature the following confirmed participants: * Frank Bello (ANTHRAX) * Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) * Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT) * David Ellefson (METAL ALLEGIANCE, MEGADETH) * Alissa White-Gluz (ARCH ENEMY) * Gary Holt (SLAYER, EXODUS) * Scott Ian (ANTHRAX) * Mark Menghi (METAL ALLEGIANCE) * Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) * Mike Portnoy (METAL ALLEGIANCE, THE WINERY DOGS) * Troy Sanders (MASTODON) * Alex Skolnick (METAL ALLEGIANCE, TESTAMENT) SPACE BORN KILLERS will open the concert. Tickets are $25.00 and can be purchased via AXS.com. Prior to the evening concert, presenting sponsor D’Addario and company will host an educational event featuring select members of METAL ALLEGIANCE. The event, entitled D’Addario Live, is part of a larger effort to increase D’Addario’s support of music education by engaging students and providing inspiring musical experiences in an interactive environment that is both entertaining and educational. As an added benefit for those who decide to attend, each person will receive a free set of D’Addario strings, Promark drum sticks or Evans drum head during the master class. Only 100 tickets will be available for this special event via a special code given out on D’Addario social networks the night before the on-sale date. Brought together by METAL ALLEGIANCE principal partner Mark Menghi, the project’s original material came together from the creative minds of David Ellefson of MEGADETH, Mike Portnoy of THE WINERY DOGS, and Alex Skolnick from TESTAMENT, alongside Menghi. The four writers then reached out through their metal rolodexes to a diverse lineup of performers, each adding their own personal musical stamp to the collection of nine original songs. The standard edition CD of “Metal Allegiance” will feature the nine original songs. A digipak edition will be available that …READ MORE

Live Reviews

SWEDEN ROCK FESTIVAL 2015

June 7, 2015 Odd Inge Rand

Sweden Rock Festival 2015 is over. There is a reason for this being called Europe’s (or was it the world’s?) best metal festival. Check out how our reporter Odd Inge Rand experienced these days in in south of Sweden filled with old and new, famous and unknown bands from all over the world. Thursday June 4th Slash One of Sweden Rock Festivals biggest profiles this year is Slash, and putting him on stage at 04.00 am must have something to do with travelling logistics. Nevertheless, around 30.000 people greeted Slash, Myles Kennedy and the rest of the Conspirators early in the afternoon, and they did not disappoint. They started off with a convincing “You’re A Lie” before the first Guns N’ Roses visit in “Nightrain”. From then on it was a 50/50 draw between the guitar legends Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver to his own solo material with Myles Kennedy and the rest of the boys. “Back From Cali” and “Wicked Stone” sounded great with one of today’s best rock singers Myles Kennedy. He also gives the old Guns songs a great spark, with “You Could Be Mine” and “Sweet Child O’Mine” as convincing as it gets, before saying goodbye with stadium anthem number one, “Paradise City”. Exodus “Blood In Blood Out” is one of 2015 finest Thrash albums so far, and with “Zetro” Souza returning to the fold, this summer looks really good for the old Bay Area thrash outfit. But for the second time in a row, Exodus went on stage at Sweden Rock without their main axeman Gary Holt. With Holt out of Exodus to tour with Slayer, the audience was let down once again, or so it seemed. “Black 13” started it all, and the loss of Gary Holt was actually soon forgotten as the band …READ MORE

Live Reviews

SWEDEN ROCK FESTIVAL 2012 (Day 1)

June 8, 2012 Odd Inge Rand

Exodus It’s been a while since San Francisco’s finest Thrash outfit Exodus visited Sweden Rock. 2012 was to be the year where they presented their current line-up of Rob Dukes and Lee Altus, but due to Gary Holt’s stint with Slayer they also brought back a familiar face from the Exodus family. Enter Rick Hunolt, who hasn’t been seen with the band since 2005. But he sure hasn’t lost his chops, and even though fans missed Gary Holt, the five-piece of Dukes, Altus, Hunolt and drum section Jack Gibson and Tom Hunting delivered the goods. The did it of course with “The Toxic Waltz,” “Piranha,” “Bonded By Blood” and “A Lesson In Violence.” All of their early songs that helped to define their genre of Thrash Metal, and many line-up changes later, they still deliver. Mastodon The Sweden Rock Festival audience has been asking for Mastodon for many years now. So, when they finally joined the bill, nobody showed much interest. They are still out promoting one of last year’s best Metal albums The Hunter, following Crack The Skye, which made Mastodon a household name. Maybe the success has gotten to their head, at least the head belonging to guitarist Brent Hinds, who told the Sweden Rock crowd that they were pathetic and that they should all fuck off. This, of course, was a cold shower for everyone involved, leaving the audience quite stunned even though Mastodon delivered masterpieces like “Black Tongue,” “Curl Of The Burl” and “Blood And Thunder.” Next time boys, a little respect please. Night Ranger Surely a huge American phenomenon, Night Ranger has done little or nothing in Europe during their soon-to-be 30-year old career. Going back to 1985. Night Ranger spent a week in Europe supporting Foreigner on the latter’s Agent Provocateur tour, while they were …READ MORE