photo by dave1968, courtesy of flickr.com
It's impossible to consider the history of thrash metal without mentioning Exodus alongside Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth. First of all, Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett started out in Exodus, but more importantly, Exodus lashed out thrashing, middle fingers in the air from the start, and even though they never became huge rock stars, they continue to embody the spirit, attitude, tenacity and turmoil of the music they helped pioneer.
Along the way they've endured numerous lineup shifts, been screwed over by a major label, fired their original lead singer, Paul Baloff, then years later, after a reunion tour with the dude in 2002, he died of a stroke. There have been addictions to speed, crippling battles with anxiety, endless tours and impossibly tight recording deadlines. And yet, through all the stress and drama, Exodus have remained a cornerstone of thrash, thanks largely to guitarist and songwriter Gary Holt, who has not only recorded new albums after each shakeup, but retained the hunger, drive and love for music he had when the scene was in its infancy.
Exodus' latest album, The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A is the band's fastest, most brutal offering since its legendary 1985 debut, Bonded by Blood. The guitar riffs are meaty and incisive, the beats thunderous and the vocals as scathing as Holt's anti-religious lyrics.
For our Headbangers Ball Blog podcast with Gary Holt, the architect of Exodus discussed his disdain for organized religion, the new pentagram-filled "Riot Act" video shot by "Metalocalypse" producer Jon Schnepp, the golden years of thrash, what the band did wrong in the '80s, selling guitars to pay the rent and when we're likely to hear The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit B.
Click here for a direct MP3 download of the podcast interview with Exodus' Gary Holt.
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