EXODUS' HOLT On Playing With SLAYER: 'I'm Keeping JEFF's Seat Warm Until He's Ready Come Back'

The Age Of Metal conducted an interview with guitarist Gary Holt of San Francisco thrash metal veterans EXODUS prior to their March 24 concert in Tempe, Arizona during the "Metal Alliance Tour" with ANTHRAX, HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE and HOLY GRAIL. You can now watch the chat below.

On EXODUS' next studio album:

Holt: "It's gonna be brutal. They all are, though, but we try to do something a little bit different each time out while maintaining our identity, and this one will be no different. I'm certainly writing really angry stuff."

On why EXODUS was forced to miss a couple of shows on the "Metal Alliance Tour" — at the the House of Blues venues in Lake Buena Vista, Florida and Anaheim, California, both properties owned by the Disney corporation — while headliners ANTHRAX were still allowed to play:

Holt: "Well, ANTHRAX… Probably, it could be lyrically, because they're more about politics, we're more about killing people, Satan and shit. I think it has to do with our audience, though, 'cause ANTHRAX's and the other bands' audiences are rowdy, too, but some of our fans get a little bit overboard. I mean, we've been banned from the Whisky [A Go Go] for a number of years — since the last time we played there. I mean, we sold the place out, they madea million dollars and they still won't have us back — 'cause the crowd was too off the hook; they were afraid they'd smash the place into pieces. It could have something to do with that. It could just have to do with our relationship with Satan and the Dark One… I don't know. It's a good question, because until their tour got canceled, they had no problem booking CRADLE OF FILTH, but not EXODUS. So I think it might be they're afraid of the audience — the 'wall of death' and all that shit. They don't want someone getting hurt. I don't want anyone getting hurt."

On playing with SLAYER for the past couple of years as the temporary replacement for Jeff Hanneman, who is still recovering from necrotising fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease which he is believed to have gotten from a spider bite:

Holt: "I'm playing with a lot of old friends — I've been best friends with those guys forever — so it wasn't, like, 'Oh, you're going in and playing with SLAYER'; I never viewed it like that. I'm just doing something different and it's kind of cool and I get to go out and play some songs I've always loved. It's fun and we have a good time."

On whether there is a chance that he will participate in the recording process for the next SLAYER album:

Holt: "I have no idea. We're just all hoping Jeff gets better. I'm just keeping his seat warm until he's ready come back and bring the pain."