EXODUS Guitarist GARY HOLT: New CD Is 'The Baddest Slab Of Metal Recorded In Years'

Veteran San Francisco Bay Area metallers EXODUS entered Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California on June 10 with producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, MACHINE HEAD, NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY) to begin recording their new album for a late 2007 release via Nuclear Blast Records.

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt has issued the following update: "Sorry about the total lack of communication, but I've been staying in the Bay Area at my parents' house (I live three hours north nowadays) and have had no Internet, nor the time since we have been locked away with Mr. Sneap for up to 14 hours a day, just killing ourselves. But all that's left are Lee's [Altus] solos and then the mix and it's finished. And I know you hear this shit all the time, which is why I've stay pretty silent through all this, but this record is like nothing you've ever heard. A genre-defining record, a career-defining record — simply put, the baddest fucking slab of metal recorded in years. Epic, crushing, huge in scope, and at times brutally simple, and at time massively complex. I am sooo stoked! You can't wipe the smile off of my face when I am listening to it. Proudest moment, for sure. Solos are off the hook, Lee is adding a ton more shred as I am typing this, Tom [Hunting] raised the bar on drumming in general, Jack's [Gibson] bass is a jack hammer, and Duke's [singer Rob Dukes] just kills it like never before. Can you tell I'm a bit excited about this one? No if only it will fit on one disc, we are off and running! Song titles coming soon. I have to have some secrets."

Vocalist Rob Dukes added: "Just got home (New York) after being in Cali for two months... Everyone — Gary, Jack and Lee — killed. I'm so glad Tom [Hunting, drums] is back and playing in my opinion better than ever. He defintely schooled motherfuckers in the thrash drumming department. He just killed. Working with Andy Sneap was rad. I don't want to say too much and sound like everybody else about how heavy the new record is; I'll let it speak for itself when it comes out and kicks your fucking face in... I'm so stoked to be a part of it; it's the coolest thing I have ever done in this life..."

As previously reported, EXODUS has scheduled the following dates during August:

Aug. 04 - San Marcos, CA @ The Jumping Turtle
Aug. 05 - Mexicali, Mexico @ El Jardin Sllencio Extreme
Aug. 06 - Modesto, CA @ Fat Cat Music house
Aug. 07 - West Hollywood, CA @ Whiskey A Go Go
Aug. 08 - Corona, CA @ Showcase Theater
Aug. 09 - Fresno, CA @ Belmont
Aug. 10 - San Jose, CA @ Blank Club

Tickets for the above dates are available through EnterTheVault.com and all normal ticketing outlets.

Gary Holt has just released his first-ever instructional DVD, "A Lesson in Guitar Violence", through Zaentz. The disc, which contains never-before-seen live footage from 1985 at the Dynamo Club in Holland, can be ordered at The Exodus Store.

Holt previously stated about the DVD, "I am planning on focusing on rhythm technique, some lead chops, and going over the correct way to play some of the EXODUS riffs. I feel there are enough straight shred things out there, so I want to do something as bit differrent. And of course I will make it funny as hell!"

Zaentz Records is the new label formed by Steven Warner (EXODUS' manager) and partner Jonnie Zaentz (son of Saul Zaentz, Fantasy Records co-founder). Zaentz is an independent artist-friendly upstart label that features an in-house, state-of-the-art recording facility.