Back in the late-80’s when I was getting into metal, thrash was my gateway and Exodus was one of my favorite bands. I owned 3 out of the first 4 albums on cassette, and the only reason I didn’t have Pleasures of the Flesh was because my mom had to vet all of our purchases at that time and it was vetoed (side note: I snuck back later, bought a shirt with the cover art, secretly wore it to school, and got a tongue-lashing when one of my teachers called home about it). So for me, Gary Holt’s riffs, Tom Hunting’s drums, and Steve “Zetro” Sousa’s vocals are as much a part of my adolescence as my jean jacket and mullet.
When most people think of Exodus, they think of ‘The Toxic Waltz’ and the albums prior to Force of Habit (one of which was with Paul Baloff, of course). But what you may not know is that the band has been ripping it up for decades since then and still have the chops to show the kids how thrash is really done. This is a celebration of the Zetro albums in the modern era, from his first return for 2004’s Tempo of the Damned, to his second return a decade later for Blood In Blood Out and the recent Persona Non Grata.
Rob Dukes fans, sit tight: your time is coming in a future Mix-Tape Monday. For now, get out your jean jacket, take a couple of preventative Ibuprofen for your neck, and let Zetro’s unique sneer take you back to the pit with this lovingly-curated list of 100% Bangers.
Right off the bat, we start off with everything you love in an Exodus track: a killer riff, scathing lyrics, Tom Hunting’s propulsive drums, blistering solos from both Gary Holt and Rick Hunolt, and Zetro’s sneering vocals. If you don’t like this track, then you hate Exodus and thrash metal.
After ten years of Dukesodus, Zetro came back with a vengeance and this ripper shows off Blood In Blood Out at its best. Gang vocals chorus and machine gun riffing abound, and I just love the breakdown after the first solo.
Given the band’s penchant for longer tracks, I wasn’t sure they had a taut three-minute thrasher in them anymore, but I stand corrected. There’s a nice contrast of mid-tempo thrash and blistering speed that will make your head spin.
One of the relatively few songs that isn’t written entirely by Gary Holt, Zetro gets in on the action here as co-writer. Tom Hunting is out of his mind and the solos are fantastic.
Holt described this riff as “one of the most insane, left-forearm-killing riffs [he’s] ever done,” and for a band built on speed, that’s a bold statement. It’s not only the title track, but a statement of intent right out of the gates, showing that the band hasn’t lost their edge.
Before he became a household name in Metallica, Kirk Hammett cut his teeth in the earliest version of Exodus. So it’s quite a treat to hear him ripping out the first solo here, and it sounds like he’s really enjoying letting loose. Maybe James & Lars should let him play a few more in their band?
I’m a sucker for a mid-paced riff, and this is one of Gary’s very best. Holt and Hunolt rip off two killer solos in the mid-section that aren’t the typical breakneck pace we’re accustomed to in an Exodus track, but really give them a chance to show off their chops. I love the gang vocals in the outro: very much an Anthrax vibe here.
This neck-wrecker was a nod to the past, present, and future of the band after Zetro’s second return. No extended jams here: this is an old-school, 3-minute thrash assault that would feel at-home on a cassette released by Combat Records back when this writer’s middle school Trapper Keeper was littered with band logos.
The final track from their latest album may start with a deceiving calm, but give it a minute and the whiplash begins. I hear some nods to fellow thrash greybeards Anthrax, complete with Hunting doing a Charlie Benante near the end, but there’s no shame in that. It’s a fitting resolution to this playlist, featuring everything that makes Exodus brilliant now as much as ever.
And there you have it: nine modern Zetrodus thrashterpieces guaranteed to wreck your neck, and I could probably come up with nine more. Tune into the space in the upcoming weeks for Part 2, where we share a list of Dukesodus tracks with the 100% Banger Guarantee.