Exodus: Maximum Sadness
Rather than casually coasting on previous accomplishments, legendary thrashers EXODUS have sustained their run of dominance for a staggering 40 years, creating some of the genres most essential albums in the process. Still firing on all cylinders the quintet have recently unleashed their 12th studio effort entitled Goliath, the foreboding figure which adorns their artwork.
“I created my own little comic book fantasy for the song about a Subterranean deity that has awoken after centuries of slumber to subjugate the world!” Declares longstanding guitarist Gary Holt. “I felt Goliath represented the album as it’s just colossal. It sounds fucking huge and monstrous. Par Olofsson has done the artwork for the last few albums and I love working with him. I sent him the lyrics and he sent me back some finished sketches which barely needed any changes at all. He just gets it and it makes everything so quick and painless.”
The frontman position for EXODUS has been somewhat of a revolving door, with the formidable duo of Steve ‘Zetro’ Souza and Rob Dukes trading places since the early 00s. There have been several heated comments from all parties throughout the years but Gary had only one person in mind for the task. “Rob has been one of my closest friends all along and when our union with Zetro was no longer working for us we would crack jokes about seeking out a 30 year old with washboard abs that could jump to the top of the drum riser without leaving in an ambulance like the rest of us but Rob was the only guy we wanted. We’re both at the same stage in our lives and our careers and there is that comfort in familiarity. Introducing someone new can bring a whole host of other problems. Rob has brought a lot of new layers to his vocals on this album that we didn’t see coming which was pretty remarkable.”
Gary has seen many members come and go but his insistence on collaboration is what has enabled EXODUS to continue to evolve and stand the test of time. “Even if I have sat down and wrote a song all on my own everybody still gets a say. Lee wrote about half of the album and the same goes for his material too. We feel like we’ve collaborated on this album more than any in the band’s history. We always have everything set up throughout so we can continue writing until the last day of recording. With your typical album, the drums are always written first but this gives us the chance to make a complete U-turn on a song if we need to. It allowed us a lot more freedom and not feel limited to a certain structure. I still write riffs the same way I did when I was 18 except now I’m recording things on my phone instead of a portable cassette player. We can then start jamming and flesh everything out. We like to be spontaneous and, at the end of the day, we write for an audience of five. We don’t care what anyone else thinks, even if that does sound harsh. We want people to like it but any honest band should write for themselves. When we wrote Bonded By Blood there was no worldwide market for thrash metal, not to sound narcissistic but we’re our biggest fans. If the rest of the world likes it too then all the better. We seem to have entered the critical darling stage which we’ve never had before. The reviews we’ve received so far have been like nothing we’ve ever had before.”
Continuing on the subject of evolution, the title track for Goliath includes a guest feature by violinist Katie Jacoby. An instrument you don’t usually associate with the fast paced intensity of thrash metal! “When I was listening back to the harmony section in Goliath, I was getting carried by the melody and I just heard violins as if they were sat in the room with me,” explains Gary. “Katie has always been like a kid sister to me. She’s contributed to EXODUS material back when she was only like 15 and has been on tour with us before. Her work with THE WHO and Roger Daltrey‘s solo work is amazing. I sent her the song and she came back with an entire orchestra of strings, it was incredible. I gave her one directive, maximum sadness and she just knocked it out of the park.”
Goliath is the first EXODUS album in three decades that was not produced by the iconic Andy Sneap. Despite this illustrious partnership coming to an end, Mark Lewis‘ credentials speak for themselves, working with bands spanning from TRIVIUM to THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER. “Andy is one of my best friends and he’s basically been a member of this band since the 90s,” explains Gary. “We reached out to him but he was not taking any projects on due to his commitments with JUDAS PRIEST. He said to us that it was time for us to try something new. It was almost like a bird getting kicked out of its nest. It was important to continue to work with people that we know well and Mark has been a close friend for a long time. He crushed this record. Sonically it just feels enormous, it’s more organic sounding and the drums feel super punchy so I’m very happy with how it turned out.”
The music industry has changed considerably since the 1980’s and bands have a lot of hoops to jump through to in an age where everyone is contending with algorithms, streaming platforms and the ever increasing costs of touring. “We’re lucky that we’re a band that has been around for as long as we have as it’s tough for a young band who is just finding their way,” admits Gary. “We’re basically travelling t-shirt salesmen. Like a pop-up store that plays music to lure you in and that’s just the reality of the situation these days. We love touring and we’re not complaining. If you can pay all of your expenses you’re doing really well. I’ve been on a million tours with EXODUS where we’ve been dependent on merch money to help pay for buses, the crew etc. If you come home with money to spare you’re in a very luck position.”
With all of this in mind, when we asked Gary what keeps him so motivated to continue pursuing music he simply responded with. “The love for the game. We all still carry the hugest chip on our shoulders. We feel like we never get our dues and the world is against us but that fuels us even more. If there isn’t an adversary, we’ll create one. We’re out to prove them all wrong.”
Goliath is set for release on March 20th via Napalm Records. View this interview, alongside dozens of other killer bands, in glorious print magazine fashion in DS129 here.
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