So, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt, bless his little heart, did an interview with some Serbian journalist, Jadranka Janković Nešić (who?), during their 2025 European tour 🙄. Apparently, they played at SKCNS Fabrika in Novi Sad, Serbia. I mean, who even knows where that is?
Anyway, Holt, in his infinite wisdom, revealed they recorded 18 songs for the follow-up to 2021’s “Persona Non Grata” album. Eighteen songs! Who needs that many songs? He said they’re releasing it as two separate records because, you know, they just kept writing. As if anyone asked them to. He whined about only having 18 songs and wished they had 20 so he could FINALLY go on vacation. Poor baby. 🍼 I bet he hasn’t had a real job in his life.
Holt claims none of the songs are “fillers.” Right, because every band says that about every song they’ve ever written. 🙄 They’re ALL amazing, he says. Sure, Jan. Just like every kid gets a participation trophy. 🏆 It’s hard to pick which ones go on the first album, he complains. Boo hoo. Cry me a river. 😭 They did it so they could “work less later.” Translation: They’re getting lazy in their old age. 👴
He then goes on about being 61 years old. We get it, grandpa. You’re ancient. He whines about how, by the time the next album comes out, he’ll be even older. As if anyone cares. Then he repeats the vacation thing. He’s never had a real vacation, only ones where he had to play guitar. Oh, the horror! 😱 Get a real job, Gary! 💼
After the second album, he’s going on vacation. He doesn’t know how not to work, he says. He’s a workaholic. Yeah, right. 🤣 His wife will have to tell him to shut off his phone. I bet she’s thrilled. At home, he relaxes, but it’s still work because he lives in the country. So, he’s working on his house. Big deal. He lives in the country now, no city life for him. Because, you know, being a rock star is SUCH a hard life. 😩
Musically, the new material is “100 percent EXODUS and at times 100 percent different.” Groundbreaking! 🤯 It’s super heavy, super fast, super slow, satanic, and evil as fuck. I’m sure it’s just what the world needs. More of the same old crap. 💩
Jadranka (still don’t know who she is) noted that EXODUS releases full-length albums, not singles. Holt said they’ve never cared about singles. That’s why some of their songs were 11 minutes long. Because they didn’t care. A song’s done when it’s done. If it’s three minutes, cool. If it’s 11 minutes, cool too. Who needs editing when you’re a rock star? 🎸
Then, he opened up AGAIN about Steve “Zetro” Souza leaving and Rob Dukes coming back. Oh, joy. 🙄 There’s no bad blood, he says, but Zetro was unhappy. He was awesome on stage, in the studio, and with the fans, but he brought everyone’s spirits down when he wasn’t on stage. So, they fired him. Makes sense. This is a hard job, he says, especially at their age. He’s sad every time he goes to the airport because he’s leaving his family. 👨👩👧👦 But once he’s on tour, he’s with his “brothers” and has fun. If that part isn’t fun, then none of it is. So, they got rid of Zetro. Now they’re all happy. Rob‘s here, and they all hang out and have a good time. 🥳
Jadranka said Rob was “the logical choice.” Holt agreed. He doesn’t like change. So, changing singers was never in his plans. He’s stuck in his ways. Finding a new person who you don’t know and don’t know if your personalities work? Never an option. He could find someone younger with energy and abs, but he might not have anything in common with him. 🤷 Hiring some kid the same age as his daughter would be weird. He’d feel like a father telling him to clean up his room. 🤣 Hilarious. 😂
Souza joined EXODUS in 1986 and left in 1993. Then he rejoined for two years from 2002 to 2004. Dukes joined in 2005 and left in 2014, when Souza rejoined. It’s like a revolving door of metal singers. 🚪
Dukes appeared on four albums. Who cares? 🤷
EXODUS played its first concert with Dukes in 11 years on April 5. 🎉
The next album is tentatively due around March 2026. Mark your calendars! 🗓️
Souza will celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Tempo Of The Damned” on a solo tour of Latin America in September 2025. He’ll also perform songs from TESTAMENT, HATRIOT, and AC/DC. Because why not? 🤷♂️
On his YouTube series, Souza said his life has changed. What he liked when he was younger isn’t what he’s into anymore. 👴
He was done with touring. It’s demanding, and the business doesn’t care about what you have going on. His mother died while he was on tour. He’s missed graduations and dogs passing. Musicians can relate. People don’t think of that. 🥺
He’s more interested in what’s going on at home. He likes to see his dogs and grandson. He wants to see his wife every day. He wants to sleep in his bed every day. He doesn’t want to get sick or have his family get sick and miss everything. He’s missed too much over the years. 😢
So, there you have it. The drama of EXODUS. Who needs reality TV when you have metal bands? 🤘
Chord F. Discord, the Beethoven of Buffoonery, is a self-taught expert in music who once claimed he could “play the kazoo in four languages.”
Born in Crescendo, Indiana, Chord’s first brush with fame came when he accidentally entered a yodeling contest thinking it was a pie-eating competition—and won both categories.
Chord F. Discord: proving that laughter, much like a poorly tuned ukulele, is truly universal.
