Former EXODUS Frontman STEVE 'ZETRO' SOUZA: 'Old-School Thrash Is What I Do'

Global Domination recently conducted an interview with former EXODUS and LEGACY (pre-TESTAMENT) and current HATRIOT vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Global Domination: Is HATRIOT another side project or are you setting out to re-conquer the world?

Steve: It's not a project at all, it is a full on band. World domination is the goal. I am going to redefine what modern day thrash is with HATRIOT. Wait and see!

Global Domination: Judging by the demo, you're going for the old-school thrash angle on this one. Are you not fed up with thrash by now, or can you still milk it?

Steve: Old-school thrash is what I do. It's what I've done since the first LEGACY demo in 1985. It is my religion and my love. Thrash metal is a style I helped invent, so I'm not re-inventing the wheel. I'm just doing what I do best. I don't feel I'm milking anything. This is what I do and I am one of the innovators, it is just time for the next chapter in Zetro history, and that is HATRIOT!

Global Domination: I understand the last tour you did with EXODUS, post reunion, ended abruptly in the middle of South America, but I really can't find a satisfactory explanation or indication as to why things turned out the way they did. Care to elaborate?

Steve: Yes, it was a terrible situation and I fault myself for that. I fully take the blame on that. Basically, I quit the band just before we were to leave to tour South America. I had too much going on in my home life and with my day job that I just couldn't commit to EXODUS one hundred percent. My head was just not in the right place. So I had to bail on the band and it caused a lot of people to be pissed at me, and rightfully so. The fans were let down too and it was just a nightmare. Basically, when the band ended the first time in 1992, I had to find another way to support my family, and that was through a construction job. Believe me, it was the ultimate ego bust. One day you are on Capitol Records and the next day you are on the job site. It was a serious wake-up call. But I rejoined EXODUS over ten years later for the "Tempo Of The Damned" record and my whole situation had changed. I was making great money at my job and I had mouths to feed. So I couldn't just hop on board and play for peanuts and go tour like we did back in the day. It was just a different chapter in my life and I had to do what I had to do. It sucked and I regret the way it went down, but we have patched up our wounds and I talk to the EXODUS guys all the time now. We are brothers again. I wish them the best, you know. They are doing great these days and business is booming for them. I have moved on to HATRIOT so it's all good here too.

Global Domination: What can we expect from you in the near future? How is the album going?

Steve: The album is called "Heroes Of Origin" and it is completely finished now. We tracked it in August and did the mixing in September. It is ten tracks of pure thrash metal.

Global Domination: When and how is the album coming out?

Steve: We recently signed with Massacre Records out of Germany, and they will be releasing the record on January 25th, 2013. It is a worldwide release, so I need all the thrashers around the globe to go out and get the record. All the fans that liked what I did with EXODUS will love the HATRIOT record as well.

Read the entire interview from Global Domination.