NOVEMBER 8th 2021
EXODUS EXCLUSIVE

 

“I remember answering questions back in 2014 when ‘Blood In Blood Out’ came out. Journalists would ask stuff like, “How are you going to top ‘Blood In Blood Out?” I would say stuff like, “I don’t know, but we will and I think we did. If you were in fifth grade when our last album was released, then you'll be graduating by now! I remember back when I was a kid my favorite bands would release an album a year, sometimes two a year!” It’s been a bit since Exodus released new music, their last studio album ‘Blood In Blood Out’ was released in October of 2014. The album received critical acclaim as one of the band’s best albums of their career. This simply shouldn’t be for a band this late into their career. ‘Blood In Blood Out’ marked the return of frontman Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza who left the band in 2004 and resulted in a war of words between ‘Zetro’ and guitarist Gary Holt. Enter vocalist Rob Dukes who fronted the band from 2004 through 2014, which yielded three studio albums, a live album and a re-recording of the ‘Bonded By Blood’ [‘Let There Be Blood’] album. That brings us to the new Exodus album, ‘Persona Non Grata’ set for release for November 19th, 2021 via Nuclear Blast, which ends the lengthy album drought. Well, as you know Gary Holt stepped in for Jeff Hanneman in Slayer in 2011, with Hanneman’s passing, Holt retained the gig. Then came a new Slayer album, the touring cycle, then the Slayer ‘farewell’ tour, hence the wait. Metal Titans caught up with ‘Zetro’ on October 29th, 2021 to talk about the stellar new album. Enjoy the interview.

Interview By: Ruben Mosqueda

Metal Titans: When ‘Persona Non Grata’ comes out it will be 7 years, a month and a few days since ‘Blood In Blood Out’ was released..

Souza: Yeah, we passed that just last week. You know the factors that contributed to the gap between records. We would have NEVER been ao produce this good of a record if Gary was still playing in Slayer. It would have NEVER been right. We wouldn’t have had the time to make it the way we did it this time. That’s why the album is, what the album is.

Metal Titans: Was there talk about making the follow up to ‘Blood In Blood Out’ while Gary was still in Slayer or was that off the table?

Souza: There was, there was. There was talk in ‘16, then we were going to do it in ‘17...then when we went to do it...they [Slayer] had something going on. Then we had something going on, they had something going on. So there was never a time where Slayer wasn't doing something for 8 months and Gary could come over and just do this. It always seemed like he [Gary] was a;ways over there. I was itching to get another album done, because this past August, I’ve been back in the band for 7 years! I think because of that, I don’t think you would have gotten the record that you got. In a way, I’m glad we waited because this record is fucking bad ass and you can hear we put our hearts and souls into it.

Metal Titans: I’m a huge fan of the ‘Blood In Blood Out’ record, while we waited this long, I’m glad that ‘Persona Non Grata’ is fantastic as it is. I’ll take ‘Persona Non Grata,’ two albums after ‘Blood In Blood Out’ that weren’t up to snuff.

Souza:Right, there are albums where you listen to them and there 3-4 great songs on it and the rest is forgettable. We didn’t want that for this record! We wanted every song have the listener going “fuck!” And the the next song “fuck!” This is the heaviest Exodus record that there is, to date there isn’t anything heavier. No way! This album is bad ass, it’s in your face, the lyrical content is brutal, there’s just nothing ‘nice’ about this album.  I think that’s a good thing for heavy metal fans.  There’s social stuff, political stuff, religious stuff and internet crap covered on all of this! If it’s happening in the world today, it’s on this record. I think we nailed it. I nailed it. Not just me, Gary Holt! Gary wrote 11 of the 12 songs musically and 9 of the 12 lyrically. So again, this goes to show that we would have never been able to produce this kind of record if we didn’t have Gary Holt back in Exodus.  

Metal Titans: I agree. In the past, things took a left turn with ‘Impact Is Imminent,’ but definitely with ‘Force Of Habit.’

Souza:  Hold on! That was a fucking u-turn! Are you kidding me?! [laughs] On ‘Force’ there are songs that I like, but that’s the only Exodus record where there are songs that I absolutely hate! I listen back to that album and I cringe. What the fuck were we thinking?! I have to put on ‘Persona Non Grata’ and say “yeah!” This is what Exodus really is! [laughs]

Metal Titans:I mentioned in the review of ‘Persona Non Grata’ that I would have never imagined a band that released ‘Impact’ and ‘Force’ would go on to release a record like ‘Persona Non Grata.’

Souza: And do it 30 years later! We’re not 18 year old kids anymore, Gary and I are 57! We’re both grandfathers! This is thrash metal! There’s not moments where you see things slowing down a little, because they’re getting older. Not in this band!

Metal Titans: That's another great point. Bands by this point in their lives start to ‘soften-up’ a little bit! I have to say that being that this album will be released at the tailend of the year, ‘Persona Non Grata’ will have people reshuffling the top 5 top 10 albums of the year, because it’s that damn good. I don’t think there will be another album that will unseat ‘Persona Non Grata’ at the top of my list.

Souza:  Thank you for that. We have talked about how strong of an effort this is, that we’d like to see this get nominated for a Grammy, but I don’t know that it’s going to be released in time to be eligible. It’s just such a well composed record, musically, lyrically, the changes, the hooks, it’s great! We’re really excited about it. I’ve been listening to heavy metal every day since I was 8 years old. I know what a good record is and this is it! I can tell you I love my cohorts, I love Anthrax, I love Megadetth, I love Testament, I love Death Angel, I love Metallica, I love them all, but I don’t think any of them are as brutal as us. I love Destruction and Kreator, but they’re not brutal like this! This is fucking brutal! As Slayer said goodbye, Exodus got really intense all of a sudden. This album showcases what we are all about. It’s a good blend of ‘Tempo Of The Damned’ and ‘Exhibit B.’ That’s what I think anyway.

Metal Titans: It does have the pummelling ‘old school’ thrash sound with a ‘contemporary’ crush to it.

Souza: I agree.

Metal Titans: When did the songs on the album begin to take shape? Were they around for a bit and evolved to what we hear on the album?

Souza:  We recorded it a year ago!  We did this album in September and October of last year. I didn’t hear a note of it until I drove up to see Tom [Hunting] who lives out in the mountains of Northern California. He has a ‘man cave’ there and we built a recording studio there. We didn’t have any restraints in the recording of the record. I didn’t hear anything off of it until I went up there and I got a chance to hear 8 songs. It was drums and rough guitars, stuff like that. I was like “Wow!” As we were recording vocals and started putting it together with leads on it and bass on it, I was even more excited about it! Like they say in the Blues Brothers, “This mother fucker will turn goat piss into gasoline!” [laughs]

Metal Titans: How do you sit on an album like this for the better part of a year?

Souza: I know! It was hard! We mixed it with Andy [Sneap], good thing Judas Priest wasn’t on the road, because we must have mixed it like 15 fucking times! It was turn the guitars up, turn them down, turn the bass up, turn it down, turn the kick drum up, turn it down. Finally we decided on a final mix. I had a copy to listen to about the third week in January [2021]. I’m surprised in this day and age, how a record like this didn’t get leaked?! I’m glad it didn’t. Things worked out pretty well there. Nobody heard it or got a hold of it. The singles came out when they were supposed to. It was all good.  

Metal Titans: The tour with Testament, Death Angel and Exodus was postponed, right?

Souza:  Yeah, it’s been delayed until April [2022]. If the requirements for fans were a little more relaxed we’d be doing places like House Of Blues and The Fillmore on the tour...they wanted to test every night! We said, “Nope!” We want to go out and hang out every night. We toured Europe and we [the bands] hangout together and now they’re going to make it so we can’t hangout together? I have friends that were on the Megadeth tour, they’d be on the bus next to each other and they’d be texting, because they weren’t ‘allowed’ to intermix. Then their driver got sick and they had to fly to four of the shows!  That was unexpected. So, we just thought, “Let’s get through this winter and give this a little more time.” We can give the album a little time to get soaked up. We might do something on our own, they’re talking about doing some weekend stuff. The tour starts in April and then we go to Europe in July through August. We haven’t played with Gary in Europe because he wasn’t available! So, Craig [Locicero of Forbidden] filled in. We haven’t been a full band for a European tour in a while. Everytime we got ready to go to Europe to support ‘Blood In Blood Out,’ he wasn’t available because he had commitments with Slayer. I think when we do go to Europe next year, it’s going to be great for the fans. They won’t see him with Slayer, they'll see him with us!

Metal Titans: I was hoping for some Northwest dates for ‘The Bay Strikes Back’ would have been announced. Maybe on the second leg, huh?

Souza: I heard that additional dates were being added. Keep an eye out. If we don’t see you on this run, we already have plans to do a second and a third run. Some of the dates on that tour sold-out so quickly, due to demand, we wanted to do more dates. It’s what the fans want to see. We’re not dumb! All of these bands are bands that have a loyal following and that people would see as a headliner, to get them all in one bill, is like a dream for the fans. Death Angel did 50 minutes, Exodus did 60 minutes and Testament did 80 minutes. It wasn’t like anyone went on stage, played six songs then, “See ya!” [laughs]

Metal Titans: How hard is it for you to inject new tunes into the set? You have the classics that people want to hear, some deep tracks, then stuff from the stellar ‘Blood In Blood Out’ and now ‘Persona Non Grata.’

Souza:  That’s a fucking great question. I really don’t know how that is going to work out.  You know what it will come down to? It will come down to which songs the guitar players want to play! [laughs]  Me? I don’t give a fuck! [laughs] I want to play them all! [laughs] It comes down to which songs are more difficult for them [guitarists] to play live. Every record that we’ve ever done, we’ve opened the tour with the opening track. Well, I hope people have arm treadmills backstage, because that mother fucking first song [“Persona Non Grata”]...it’s 8 minutes of leads and changes! To open with that? After 3-4 songs, you’re in a groove! With that song opening the set? You’d better be on those treadmills boys, because that’s a barn burner! [laughs]

Metal Titans: That’s a killer tune.

Souza: Who opens an album with an 8 minute song? Oh, yeah. We do! [laughs]

Metal Titans: I can’t wait for people to hear this record about as much as you.

Souza: You know it’s funny, I see all of these festival dates come out and I see the line-ups. We weren’t on any of them, then in like the last week or so, I heard that we’re getting added to all of them! It’s because the promoters heard the new music.

Metal Titans: You realize Motley Crue ended while you guys were touring in 2015 and they’ve reunited in the time you released the follow-up?

Souza: [laughs] Yeah! You remember that they signed that contract?! Who honors their contracts?! Not them! Didn’t they get Vince Neil on Nutrisystem or something?! [laughs]

Metal Titans: You know, I’ve seen the new press photos and you have slimmed down. You look great.

Souza:  Yeah, I decided that it was okay to eat a carrot every once in a while! [laughs] I went on a diet where I have 1200 calories a day. I run/jog five miles every morning. I lost about 63 pounds. I’m 200 pounds for the first time in 20-30 years. I feel great. This record is just so good, that I wanted to transform myself! When I go on stage, people will ask, “Wow! Did they get a new singer?!’ No, it's still ‘Zetro!’ I feel so good. It’s the best thing that I have ever done! I eat a balanced diet. I eat little meals and I count everything! I log everything that I eat. In the past this would be the worst time of the year, because I would see $10 bags of candy! I can’t eat that stuff anymore, it will kill me. I would be able to eat an entire bag of candy! I’m like a heroin addict! [laughs]

Metal Titans: Last thing, back when I discovered Exodus I heard a Bon Scott influence in your vocal style. It sets you apart from the pack . How big of an influence was Bon Scott for you?

Souza: He was probably about 90%. I have my own tribute to the Bon Scott era AC/DC in The Bay Area. I have been doing it since ‘09. Look us up online we’re called AC/DZ...Will [Carrol] the drummer from Death Angel is the drummer. When Will is on tour Tom Hunting plays drums. We have a guitarist that dresses up like Angus Young! It’s a lot of fun. We just play the Bon era. It’s fucking awesome! On the Japanese version of the new album we did two covers, one is “Beating Around The Bush” and it will blow your fucking mind!

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