EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt, who has been filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman for the past two years while Hanneman recovered from necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease, has issued the following statement in the wake of his shocking passing on May 2nd:
“I’m at a loss for words. The news yesterday of Jeff’s passing hit me like a ton of bricks. Totally devastating sadness is all I have right now. ‘In shock’ are the best words I can come up with to describe how I’m feeling.
Jeff, it’s been an honor, my brother, to TRY my best to honor your songs best I could.
There is only one Jeff Hanneman. All I ever could HOPE to do was play those songs you wrote with the conviction with which you played and wrote them, ’cause there is only one of you; that mold was broken long ago.
My old friend, we had some amazing times on the greatest shows and tours I’ve ever done (VENOM, SLAYER, EXODUS, anyone?), young and hungry thrashers out to lay waste to everything, and had the best time ever while doing it. Exactly why we all started playing in the first place.
Much love and respect, and my deepest condolences to the Hanneman family and the whole Slayer family. Gone but NEVER forgotten and always missed. R.I.P.”
At 11 AM, PST on May 2nd, Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman passed away near his Southern California home; he was 49 years old. Hanneman was in an area hospital when he suffered liver failure. He is survived by his wife Kathy, his sister Kathy and his brothers Michael and Larry, and will be sorely missed.
SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner joined EXODUS on stage last night (Monday, April 22) at Upstate Concert Hall in Clifton Park, New York to perform the EXODUS classic “The Toxic Waltz”. Video footage of his appearance can be see below.
Commented Bittner: “Last night I had the honor of stepping onstage to jam with the mighty EXODUS (featuring one of my favorite metal guitar players ever — Gary Holt). It was dark as hell and I had to play a backwards kit, but it was hella fun!! To quote the Bay Area guys!!”
Holt has spent the last two years filling in for SLAYER founding axeman Jeff Hanneman who in January 2011 contracted necrotizing fasciitis, likely caused by a spider bite, and has been undergoing surgeries, skin grafts and intense rehab since.
EXODUS‘ latest album, “Exhibit B: The Human Condition”, was released in North America on May 18, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The CD sold around 4,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 114 on The Billboard 200 chart.
SHADOWS FALL‘s latest album, “Fire From The Sky”, sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart. The CD was released on May 15, 2012 via Razor & Tie.
Keith Lovett of PopCultureMadness.com conducted an interview with guitarist Gary Holt of San Francisco Bay Area metallers EXODUS on April 18 at the Philadelphia stop of the 2013 “Metal Alliance” tour 2013 with ANTHRAX, HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE and HOLY GRAIL.
Holt has spent the last two years filling in for SLAYER founding axeman Jeff Hanneman who in January 2011 contracted necrotizing fasciitis, likely caused by a spider bite, and has been undergoing surgeries, skin grafts and intense rehab since.
EXODUS‘ latest album, “Exhibit B: The Human Condition”, was released in North America on May 18, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records.
The CD sold around 4,600 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 114 on The Billboard 200 chart.
EXODUS‘ previous album, “The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A”, opened with 3,600 units back in October 2007.
HATRIOT, the new San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band led by former EXODUS and LEGACY (pre-TESTAMENT) frontman Steve “Zetro” Souza, filmed a video for the song “And Your Children To Be Damned” on March 10 at Arlene Francis Center in Santa Rosa, California. The clip — whih was directed by Mike Sloat (MACHINE HEAD, TESTAMENT), can be seen below.
“And Your Children To Be Damned” was written about Countess Bathory, a countess from the renowned Báthory family of nobility in the Kingdom of Hungary, who has been labeled the most prolific female serial killer in history, although the number of murders is debated.
Several photos from the video shoot can be seen below (all pictures courtesy of Walter Morgan).
“And Your Children To Be Damned” comes off HATRIOT‘s debut album, “Heroes Of Origin”, which was released on January 25 via Germany’s Massacre Records. The CD was recorded with producer Juan Urteaga (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS, TESTAMENT) and features guest appearances BY TESTAMENT ‘s Chuck Billy and MACHINE HEAD‘s Phil Demmel . The cover artwork, which can be seen below, was created by Mark DeVito, who has previously worked with MOTÖRHEAD and ANVIL CHORUS, among others.
“Heroes Of Origin” track listing:
01. Suicide Run
02. Weapons Of Class Destruction
03. Murder American Style
04. Blood Stained Wings
05. The Violent Time Of My Dark Passenger
06. Globicidal
07. And Your Children To Be Damned
08. The Mechanics Of Annihilation
09. Shadows Of The Buried
10. Heroes Of Origin
The entire album can now be streamed using the SoundCloud player below.
HATRIOT‘s drummer is none other than Steve‘s son, Nicholas Souza. Nicholas auditioned for the band after the departure of Alex Bent and “proved himself to be the best choice,” according to Steve.
HATRIOT‘s lineup also includes Zetro‘s son Cody, who got his first bass as a present from his father after Zetro bought it off current EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson. “I told him,” Zetro said in a recent interview with Metalholic.com, “‘You have to try out [for the bassist position in HATRIOT if you want to be in the band]. There’s no nepotism here, boy. If you can hang, you’re on.’ So he actually tried out, and he got the gig.”
Regarding HATRIOT‘s musical direction, Zetro said, “It’s in the vein of typical Bay Area thrash, but these guys are a lot younger, so there’s gonna be some blast-beats in there. There’s gonna be some kind of death [metal] approach to it, a little bit. ‘Cause these guys are new. They’re raw, and they’re fast, young, heavy, hard and aggressive, and I’m trying to convey that along as well.”
He added, “These new kids seem to understand what we did in the ’80s, but still bring a little bit of a new essence to it. We put that together with what I write vocally and it’s turned out to be really, really killer. It’s good stuff.”
Asked why he thinks thrash metal has enjoyed something of a revival in more recent years, Zetro told Über Röck, “You know, I get asked this a lot, and I think it is because the first wave of thrash came and went so fast. I mean, it started in the mid-’80s and was gone by 1991 or so. The older bands still have something to say, and I feel that’s why they are still able to put out great music so many years later. Now the fans that were young kids back then have bands of their own, so these new bands are naturally influenced by the old sound and it has come full circle. Of course, with technology and things like they are today, it is a totally different ballgame when it comes to marketing the music. I don’t know that there will ever be another band as big as the ‘Big Four’ or anything, because the business structure just isn’t there anymore, but it is really cool to see these new bands carrying the torch of what we helped invent back in the old scene.”
HATRIOT is:
Steve “Zetro” Souza – Vocals Kosta Varvatakis – Guitar Miguel Esparza – Guitar Nicholas Souza – Drums Cody Souza – Bass
Ex-EXODUS guitarist Rick Hunolt rejoined his former bandmates on stage last night (Thursday, March 28) at the Regency Ballroom in San Francisco, California to perform the group’s classic song “Strike Of The Beast”. Video footage of his appearance can be seen below (courtesy of CapitalChaosTV.com).
With Gary Holt still handling guitar duties for Jeff Hanneman on SLAYER‘s North American and European tours, EXODUS invited none other than Hunolt to fill in for the band’s shows in 2012 and beyond.
Longtime EXODUS fans will recall that Hunolt — the other half of the famed EXODUS “H-Team” who is on every studio recording from 1985 through 2004 and co-wrote some of the band’s best-known songs such as “A Lesson In Violence” and “Deliver Us To Evil” — left EXODUS after the band’s highly-acclaimed 2004 reunion album, “Tempo Of The Damned”. “Murder In The Front Row”, the photo book documenting the pinnacle of the Bay Area thrash scene, aptly documents Hunolt‘s tenure in the band.
Following his departure, Hunolt was replaced by HEATHEN guitarist Lee Altus.
Hunolt first rejoined his former bandmates at a special concert in celebration of Holt and Lisa Perticone‘s wedding on September 24, 2011 at Avalon in Santa Clara, California. He also performed with them at “Bonded By Baloff: A Decade Of Remembrance”, a special concert which marked the 10-year anniversary of former EXODUS singer Paul Baloff‘s passing. The event took place February 4, 2012 at the Oakland Metro Operahouse in Oakland, California.
Source: Bravewords.com
Last night (February 23rd) at Soundwave 2013 in Brisbane, Australia at the RNA Showgrounds, for the first time in their career, thrash legends SLAYER performed with only two original members on stage – frontman Tom Araya and guitarist Kerry King. EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt continues to fill-in for the ailing Jeff Hanneman and a contract dispute with drummer Dave Lombardo saw the band replace him this week with former drummer Jon Dette (also ANTHRAX).
Check out Araya and King on-stage below:
According to Setlist.fmSLAYER performed the following:
‘Disciple’
‘Die By The Sword’
‘War Ensemble’
‘Chemical Warfare’
‘Altar Of Sacrifice’
‘Mandatory Suicide’
‘Seasons In The Abyss’
‘Dead Skin Mask’
‘Angel Of Death’
‘South Of Heaven’
‘Raining Blood’
SLAYER as part of Soundwave 2013:
February
24 – Sydney, Australia – Olympic Park
25 – Sydney, Australia – Big Top Luna Park *
March
1 – Melbourne, Australia – Flemington Racecourse
2 – Adelaide, Australia – Bonython Park
4 – Perth, Australia – Claremont Showground
Mexico’s Hell And Heaven Metal Fest 2013 is being held in Guadalajara, Mexico May 18th and 19th at the Esplanade adjacent to the Arena VFG. The premise of this festival, apart from presenting the most important groups of the genre in the world, was to promote national talent, and becoming a benchmark for heavy rock lovers in Latin America. Therefore, the scenarios presented, in addition to 16 international groups, 45 national bands championed various styles within the heavy rock, from various regions of Mexico.
The 2013 edition will present the following confirmed bands: MOTÖRHEAD, ANTHRAX , TESTAMENT, IN FLAMES, EPICA, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, SODOM, EXODUS, SIX FEET UNDER, MOONSPELL, SUFFOCATION, HAGGARD, ILL NINO, DOKKEN, HEATHEN, MUNICIPAL WASTE, WARBRINGER, AS BLOOD RUNS BLACK, GILBY CLARKE, RESORTE, VITAL REMAINS, DDLM, CATTLE DECAPITATION, ORIGIN, TRANSMETAL, HERE COMES THE KRAKEN, BLACK OIL, BUTCHER BABIES, PINHEAD, MORPHIUM, PRO-FE-CIA, AGONY LORDS, DRAKSEN, ATTACKHEAD, NIGHTBREED, WRECKER, THELL BARRIO, INTOXXXICATED, SABACTHANI, CTHULHU, CEMICAN, PSICOVOMITOSIS, THANTRA, IRA, ARCHETYPE, GODLESS PROCESSION, SACHIEL, MULUC PAX, BUFFALO GRILLZ, HACAVITZ, PROFANATOR, SUBHUMAN, LECUMBERRI, SPERPENTUM, ARCADIA LIBRE, THE BILLY’S, RINDERPEST, MORTOSS, INES CHAVEZ and TDH.
Due to the Mickey Mouse executives, EXODUS will be forced to miss the April 12th date of the Metal Alliance Tour, on which they are direct support for ANTHRAX, along with opening acts HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE, and HOLY GRAIL.
An official statement from EXODUS reads:
“Because Disney has decided that Exodus is TOO METAL for them, we will NOT be playing the Lake Buena Vista HOB show in Florida, but the fine thrash maniacs in Tampa have invited us to rage at the Orpheum instead. Who’s comin’ out for a Lesson in Violence?”
Exodus is not the first metal band to feel the wrath of the corporate powers behind Walt Disney Properties; MACHINE HEAD has been banned from the House Of Blues venues in Anaheim and Orlando (both of which are situated on Disney property). “Violent imagery”, “inflammatory lyrics” and most appallingly “undesirable fans” were cited as the reason.
GENERATION KILL, the band featuring EXODUS frontman Rob Dukes, is back in the studio working on its second full-length album. The group is in talks with producer Chris “Zeuss” Harris (SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL THAT REMAINS, SHADOWS FALL, SOULFLY) to produce the CD and promises two things with this album — it will be different and it will be heavy.
Regarding the musical direction of the new effort, Rob Moschetti (bass) and Jason Velez (lead guitar) explained that they basically wanted to “stick to the direction of there is no direction, we want to be artists, people forget that music is art and we want to deliver something that makes people think and want to go back and listen again and again.”
A new GENERATION KILL video blog in which they can be seen laying down tracks for the upcoming CD are available below.
GENERATION KILL‘s new CD is due later this year via Season Of Mist. Zeuss “has a guiding hand in all the songs the band has written” for the upcoming CD so far, according to Dukes.
GENERATION KILL‘s debut album, “Red White And Blood”, was released in September 2011. The CD was recorded at J. Rod Production Studios in New City, New York (where the vocal tracks for EXODUS‘ “Let There Be Blood” and OVERKILL‘s “Ironbound” were previously laid down).
GENERATION KILL is:
Rob Dukes – Vocals Rob Moschetti – Bass/Backing Vocals Jason Trenczer – Lead Guitar Jason Velez – Lead Guitar James DeMaria – Drums
Nuclear Blast has issued that in April of this year, dyed-in-the-wool thrashers EXODUS toured South America. Now fans are granted the chance to be close to the thrashing on- and off-stage action – through a two-part “Desperados Stagedive Special”!
The show’s host Carlos Martinez reports exclusively as part of EXODUS’ road crew. Straight through the jungle they make their way to the rock clubs of Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires and Chile, including trips to desert islands, ray fishing and much more.
Part 1 http://www.bunch.tv/news/desperados-stagedive-special-exodus-tourdoku-teil-1
After a short review of Rock in Rio 2011, part 1 starts with the band opening their Brazilian tour at the Metal Open Air in Sao Luis and the Abril Pro Rock Festival in Recife. The next destination is the megapolis Sao Paulo, where the first club show takes place and Carlos experiences the tough touring routine from a roadie’s perspective.
Part 2 http://www.bunch.tv/news/desperados-stagedive-special-exodus-tourdoku-teil-2
In part 2, the band enjoys a few days off to recharge the batteries for the upcoming shows – they use the time for exploring desert islands and for ray fishing. Club shows in Curitiba and Buenos Aires follow. On the road, the Californians have many a memorable experiences and share quite a few anecdotes of their touring life. As a grand finale, EXODUS rock the Metal Fest in Santiago de Chile before heading home.
