Finnish Folk Metal Superstars KORPIKLAANI finally get some time to rest touring-wise before the band kicks off their 2020 concert cycle with two shows in Japan in the end of February, followed by many more shows around the globe. Reason enough for the sextet to at least start the new year properly in a musical way! Today, KORPIKLAANI are pleased to release another adaption of their hit song ‘Beer Beer.’ The newly launched lyric video for ‘Beer Kill Kill’ which features EXODUS vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza can be watched here:
“I was very excited, thrilled and honored to be asked and cannot wait to play this live with them! Trash ‘Beer Beer,’ time for ‘Kill Kill,’ EXODUS style.” – Zetro
Jimmy Kay from Canada’sThe Metal Voice recently spoke with EXODUS‘ lead singer Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza.
Watch the interview here:
In regards to their new album and the musical direction
“Gary Holt, Tom Hunting and I was at the Metal Hammer awards last Monday in London and I actually looked in Gary’s eyes and said, WHEN HOLTS! WHEN ! Gary said we will be in the studio around November, so probably early Spring. I have heard songs. Gary writes when he is out with Slayer, he has this little recording unit in his room, he writes and sends it out. Gary is on top of it. I have been sent a few songs, with no lyrics, to listen to. It’s awesome, it’s killer, everyone is going to love it. Gary knows what he is doing. From what I heard it’s got a lot different stuff on it, it’s got some of the record I have not been on with Rob Dukes, a bit of Tempo of the damned , some Blood in Blood out . I heard two songs that I actually have on my phone. Heavy shit.”
When asked about if they will record a Live album
“We have been talking about that so hopefully after this record cycle after this album comes out, we will get that done. We will do a DVD. We are playing some shows in San Francisco next month they are going to film there. I was told it was for some type of DVD. Is it going to be a DVD that accompanies a record or a separate DVD? I don’t know? They never tell me this sort of shit, they just say shut up and sing.”
When asked if he minds singing songs from the Rob Dukes and Paul Baloff era’s of Exodus
“Rob Halford (Judas Priest) doesn’t sing any of the Ripper Owens songs, Joey Belladonna (Anthrax) doesn’t sing any of the John Bush Stuff. David Lee Roth won’t sing Sammy Hagar Stuff, Sammy won’t Sing Dave’s stuff. It’s a band’s history, I think that’s pompous bullshit refusing to play songs from the band If you weren’t there, that doesn’t mean the band didn’t exist. It’s like the band wasn’t alive so you act like you wont acknowledge that era I just think that is stupid. Just because you weren’t in the band dones’t mean the songs weren’t any good. I love Iconplasm, Children of a worthless God I wish I would have sung them on record but now I get to sing them live, I love it. We are doing to shows in San Francisco and Rob Dukes is invited to sing on the second night.”
Asked what would have happened to him if he would have stayed with the band Legacy who turned into Testament
“I would have become a pompous Rock Star asshole, I would have been terrible to deal with. I felt like I had so much to do with that bands success form the beginning and when it all started. My ego was huge back then just to be honest. I started that band (Testament) early 1984 by 1986 we were dialing in clubs everywhere, 12 record deal. and if I would have continued there I would have been an ass. I’m glad that didn’t happen actually.”
When asked about Gene Simmons trademarking the devil horns
Everybody has got to be famous for something.common Gene, give me a break. I’m giving Dio that one sorry
When asked his opinion about the Big 4 of thrash
Let me correct you. it’s the big one, (with no disrespect to the other bands) and the other three. I grew up in the Bay area before I was in a band. Exodus was the only band doing this regardless if they got the accolades or notoriety for it they were the first ones who did it . When I started Legacy we were emulating Exodus every band in the Bay area was a thrash band emulating Exodus. We all have a piece of the history making it happen, some did better than others. The big four was the bands that were the initial most popular in the 80’s when the music came out and started. No disrespect to Slayer, Anthrax of Megadeth
Guitarist Gary Holt of San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans EXODUS has released the following statement: “As a band, we all had to make a very difficult choice to part ways with [our singer of the past nine years] Rob Dukes. We have nothing but love and admiration for him and the deepest gratitude for the hard work he has put in and the great work on some killer records. But at this time, Tom [Hunting, drums], Lee [Altus, guitar], Jack [Gibson, bass] and myself thought a change was necessary and the unanimous choice going forward was to welcome back Steve Souza [pictured] to the fold!”
Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004, adds: “I spent a great part of my life with EXODUS. That blood flows through me, [and] even not being in the band for the past 10 years, you can’t erase that chemistry. I’m very excited!”
Dukes joined EXODUS in January 2005 and appeared on four of the band’s studio albums — “Shovel Headed Kill Machine” (2005), “The Atrocity Exhibition… Exhibit A” (2007), “Let There Be Blood” (2008, a re-recording of EXODUS‘ classic 1985 LP, “Bonded By Blood”) and “Exhibit B: The Human Condition” (2010).
Back in March of this year, EXODUS entered a studio in Northern California with producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, ARCH ENEMY, NEVERMORE) to record its tenth studio album. A month later, Dukes told Patch.com about the material that was slated to appear on the CD: “This album is very fast and has more of a punk rock feel to it, whereas I think the last few EXODUS albums were metal epics, with longer songs. These songs are shorter and a little faster. It has a really different feel to it. It sounds great.”
EXODUS last month played six shows as direct support to SLAYER (with openers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES) before joining GUNS N’ ROSES, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and KID ROCK at this year’s Rock On The Range festival.
EXODUS‘ next live appearance is scheduled for July 11 at the Bang Your Head!!! festival in Balingen, German
Zetro left EXODUS in September 2004 on the eve of the band’s South American headlining tour over what was described as long-standing business and personal differences. Holt subsequently issued a statement calling Souza “human crap” for pulling out the trek “only about twenty-four hours before were ready to leave.” He added, “Yes, he did a killer job on the new album [2004’s ‘Tempo Of The Damned’], but mainly because we did not allow him to fuck everything up with his stupid Bon Scott impersonations anymore. We made him sing more like [previous vocalist Paul] Baloff. I tried to make it work. More than you can imagine. But he was (is) the most miserable pile of crap to be around.”
After Souza made it clear in several interviews in 2011 that he wanted his old EXODUS job back, Holt — who has been pulling double duty with SLAYER for the past four and a half years — said: “I have nothing against Zetro; really, I don’t. I consider him a friend, but the lobbying through the press for people to convince me to give him his job back just got under my skin, because Rob is NOT a placecard holder in EXODUS, he’s our singer.
“Zetro‘s place in EXODUS history is solid, he made some great records with us, and had a good run with the band. But this is now, not then, and we do not plan on throwing away what we have to go back in time.”
In a February 2014 interview with DeadRhetoric.com, Souza — who currently fronts and up-and-coming thrash metal band called HATRIOT — stated about the most recent version of EXODUS and whether he would ever return to the group: “I read an interview with Slash about a month ago and he explains it very well. He said, ‘The new GUNS N’ ROSES, they’re great, but this version is not my version of GUNS N’ ROSES,’ just like this version of EXODUS is not my version of EXODUS, or this version is not Paul Baloff‘s version of EXODUS. To join would be going backward.”
He continued: “Do I love singing those songs? Yeah, for the fans, it would be great. I sing some of those with HATRIOT. I’ve done so much work with this band, I can do everything my way…
“I would have to pass on [rejoining EXODUS] if that actually came up… I would say, ‘Let’s turn left.’ [And they would say] ‘No, let’s turn right.’ ‘But if you turn right, you’re going to fall off the cliff! Let’s turn left, guys. Who’s the most successful out of this business?’ But Gary says: ‘Let’s turn right.’ Okay, fine, we fall off the cliff. With HATRIOT, I get to turn left. I get to drive the Cadillac, and it’s fine with me.”
Asked if he was still on good terms with the EXODUS guys, Souza said: “Two weeks ago in Oakland, Robb Flynn [MACHINE HEAD] had a benefit show for someone who had an accident. I have an AC/DC tribute band called AC/DZ, I opened the show. Gary was there that night. We had a great conversation and talked very well, and it was awesome. It was awesome, and that’s the way it needs to be.”
He added: “Believe me, I do read the press, so I know. It was late that night and we talked about a lot of stuff, and it was cool. He said, ‘I heard you were here and I was looking for you.’
“I don’t have a problem with anybody. I’m good with everybody. I get along with everybody and don’t have anything bad to say.”
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
