Exodus "Persona Non Grata [Russia, Soyuz Music, SZCD 3435-21]"

Persona Non Grata is the twelfth studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus, released on November 19, 2021. It was their first studio album since Blood In, Blood Out in 2014, and is the last album to feature vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza before he departed from the band again in 2025. This album also features guest appearances from former Exodus guitarist Rick Hunolt and guitarist Lee Altus' bandmate in Heathen, Kragen Lum, who both provide guitar solos on one of the album's tracks, "Lunatic-Liar-Lord". This is the band's final album to be released through Nuclear Blast, with whom the band signed in 2003.

Plans for the follow-up to Blood In, Blood Out were made as early as 2016, and work on the album had been slowed down by relentless tour schedules and guitarist Gary Holt's commitments with Slayer, until the latter disbanded in 2019 following a farewell tour; as such, it is the first Exodus studio album to be released since Slayer's disbandment. The recording sessions of Persona Non Grata took place from September to October 2020, with the album being fully completed in January 2021. The album was initially set for release in the summer of 2021, but it was pushed back to November, due to drummer Tom Hunting's diagnosis with squamous cell carcinoma of the stomach.

After leaving Exodus in 2004 amid a bitter feud between himself and guitarist Gary Holt, frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza returned to the band in June 2014, and appeared on their tenth studio album Blood In, Blood Out, released four months later. The album received positive reviews and the band spent more than two years touring behind it. When asked in a June 2016 interview with The Age of Metal when Exodus were going to release a new album, Souza said, "I hate to speak for everybody, because one of our members [guitarist Gary Holt] plays in Slayer, which is very important to us and to him as well. And, actually, Gary is the main songwriter and has always been in Exodus. And so we'll have to, obviously, look at his schedule, but just having, actually, conversations with him since we've been home [off the road] and conversations with Tom, I mean, we know we need to keep new music going. And 2017 would be… Say it was towards the end of 2017… That would be three years since my return [to the band] and three years since Blood In, Blood Out came out. So I think that's fair to say you should be able to put a record out in that amount of time. And we've always been able to write an album in an… like, come home and concentrate on it, and within five or six months, we have it written and done — even less [time] than that. We know what we're doing. We know Exodus. We've been doing this for so many years. It's just like getting on a bicycle and riding it."

In a May 2017 interview with Metal Wani, Souza stated that Exodus would enter the studio around October or November to begin recording their eleventh studio album for a March 2018 release. Drummer Tom Hunting added, "We're just structuring songs right now. I think we've probably got five or six maybe, and the makings for the rest of 'em — bits and pieces here and there." Souza explained that the material did not sound like a continuation of Blood In, Blood Out but rather "a lot of records put together, I think.", later describing it as "heavy as shit, though — really fucking heavy." Writing for the album had continued by January 2018. Souza later went on to say that fans would have to wait until at least the end of 2019 for the release of new studio album, mainly due to Holt's commitment to Slayer's farewell tour. He then said that the new album would possibly be released in late 2019 or early 2020, promising that the album would be "very violent and very heavy".

In June 2020, Exodus announced that they would begin recording their follow-up to Blood In, Blood Out in September; pre-production of the album had begun a month earlier. In November 2020, it was announced the title of the album would be Persona Non Grata and was planned for release the following summer. In April 2021, very shortly after drummer Tom Hunting revealed that he had been diagnosed with cancer, Souza announced that the release of the album had been pushed back to November, though as reasons he cited both Hunting's illness and vinyl manufacturing issues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On August 20, 2021, Exodus announced that Persona Non Grata would be released on November 19, and its lead single "The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)" was released on the same day through streaming services. On September 17, 2021, Exodus released the second single from Persona Non Grata, titled "Clickbait". On October 15, 2021, Exodus released the third single from Persona Non Grata, titled "The Years of Death and Dying". On November 19, 2021, the official release date of Persona Non Grata, Exodus released the album's fourth and final single, titled "Prescribing Horror".

Persona Non Grata has received highly positive reviews.

It was elected by Loudwire as the 23rd best rock/metal album of 2021. The publication also elected "The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)" as the 11th best metal song of the same year.

Track listing

All lyrics and music written by Gary Holt except where noted.

1. "Persona Non Grata" 7:30
2. "R.E.M.F." 4:22
3. "Slipping into Madness" L: Steve "Zetro" Souza M: Lee Altus 5:33
4. "Elitist" L: Souza 3:58
5. "Prescribing Horror" 5:09
6. "The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)" 3:01
7. "The Years of Death and Dying" L: Tom Hunting 5:22
8. "Clickbait" 4:31
9. "Cosa Del Pantano"   1:13
10. "Lunatic-Liar-Lord" 7:59
11. "The Fires of Division" 5:23
12. "Antiseed" 6:17

Total length: 60:18

R.E.M.F. means Rear Echelon Motherfuckers

Recording information:

Produced by Exodus.

Engineered at Tom Hunting's Garage, Lake Almanor, California.

Additional vocals recorded at Trident Studios, Pacheco, California.

Mixed and mastered at Backstage Studios, Derbyshire, England.

Andy Sneap – mixing, mastering

Pär Olofsson – artwork

Tayva Martinez – band photos

Marcelo Vasco – layout

Exodus "Another Lesson In Violence (Digipak, Germany, Century Media, 77173-2)"

Another Lesson in Violence is a live album by the American thrash metal band Exodus.

This album comes after a large line-up change for Exodus. Paul Baloff, who originally left in 1986 after the release of Bonded by Blood, makes a return on vocals. Tom Hunting returns after leaving just before the Fabulous Disaster tour in 1989 due to illness. This is also Exodus's first album to feature Jack Gibson on bass. Robb Flynn of Vio-lence and Machine Head makes a guest appearance on "A Lesson in Violence".

In early 1998, a few months after the album was released, the band went on their second hiatus which lasted until 2001. In the following year, not long after the band had made their second reunion, long time Exodus frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza made a return to the band due to the death of Paul Baloff, brought on by a stroke.

This was the band's first collaboration with Andy Sneap, who produced the live album; he would produce, engineer, mix or master all of Exodus' albums, starting with, and including, Tempo of the Damned (2004).

Track listing

1. "Bonded by Blood" L: Gary Holt, Paul Baloff M: Holt 3:34
2. "Exodus" L: Baloff, Holt M: Holt 4:29
3. "Pleasures of the Flesh" L: Baloff   M: Exodus 8:14
4. "And Then There Were None" L: Holt, Tom Hunting M: Holt 5:58
5. "Piranha"  L: Baloff M: Holt 5:42
6. "Seeds of Hate" L: Baloff  M: Exodus 6:00
7. "Deliver Us to Evil" L: Holt, Mark Whitaker M: Holt, Rick Hunolt 8:29
8. "Brain Dead" L: Baloff   M: Exodus 5:22
9. "No Love" L: Baloff   M: Holt 6:41
10. "A Lesson in Violence" L: Holt M: Holt, Hunolt 5:58
11. "Impaler" L: Baloff   M: Kirk Hammett, Holt, Hunting 6:09
12. "Strike of the Beast" L: Holt, Baloff M: Holt 8:13

Time:  01:15:57

Recording information:

Recorded live at the Trocadero, San Francisco, California on March 8th, 1997.

Mixed at Hyde Street Studios, San Francisco, California, April 1st - 8th, 1997.

Andy Sneap – production, mixing

Steve Remote – engineering

Bob Skye, Eric Skye, Francis Trouette, Jack Szczekocki – assistant engineering

Gabriel Shepard – assistant mixing

Strephon Taylor – cover artwork

Exodus "Bonded By Blood (USA, Combat Records, 88561-8019-2)"

Bonded by Blood is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus. Although the album was completed in the summer of 1984, it was not released until 1985 due to issues with Exodus and the record label. It is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time. This is also the only full-length studio album of Exodus to feature Paul Baloff on vocals, though he was also on their 1982 Demo and appeared on their 1997 live album Another Lesson in Violence.

In 2008, Exodus re-recorded Bonded by Blood and re-released it as Let There Be Blood, featuring a new line-up of members aside from drummer Tom Hunting and guitarist Gary Holt who played on the original.

Bonded by Blood was originally titled A Lesson in Violence, but had its name changed when a suitable cover idea could not be found. An advance cassette copy of the album (with the original title) was widely distributed through the tape-trading network upon the record's completion late in the summer of 1984, creating an immense underground buzz prior to the official release of the LP. The release was delayed, however, due to problems with the artwork.

The song "Impaler" was originally to be featured on Bonded by Blood, but it was abandoned when Kirk Hammett took the main riff with him to Metallica (it was used on "Trapped Under Ice"). The song eventually appeared on the 1997 live album Another Lesson in Violence, and then as a studio recording on the band's 2004 comeback album Tempo of the Damned with Steve "Zetro" Souza on vocals.

The original album cover art was an illustration of good and evil conjoined twin infants. For the 1989 reissue this cover was replaced with the band logo on a red and black image of a crowd. The album was remastered and re-issued by Century Media in 1999 in Europe only, with two live tracks from its Combat re-release in 1989, featuring Steve "Zetro" Souza on vocals. This reissue from Century Media restored the original twin cover artwork.

In a contemporary review, Bernard Doe of Metal Forces defined Bonded by Blood "a classic album in the thrash metal sense which is sure to be sneered at by the unconverted and mainstream media."

Bonded by Blood received a positive modern review from Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic, who states: "Had it been released immediately after it was recorded in 1984, Exodus' Bonded by Blood might be regarded today alongside Metallica's Kill 'Em All as one of the landmark albums responsible for launching the thrash metal wave" and adds that "Exodus were left to wonder what kind of impact they may have had without these setbacks." Rivadavia also described Bonded by Blood as "an album whose influence far exceeds its actual notoriety, and it remains a crucial piece of the thrash metal puzzle – essential." Canadian journalist Martin Popoff described Exodus as a band "doing what Metallica did best, and doing it with killer underground savagery", and considered Bonded by Blood "a solid, forward-thinking record". However, he observed that their "purist lack of compromise made [Exodus] somehow toneless and haranguing compared to multi-dimensional personalities like Metallica and Megadeth."

In 2003, Bonded by Blood was named one of "The Best 25 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time" in Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal, by Ian Christe.

In 2013, Bonded by Blood was ranked number 80 on Metal Rules' 'Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums'. In August 2014, Revolver placed the album on its "14 Thrash Albums You Need to Own" list. The album was ranked number one on Loudwire's top ten list of "Thrash Albums NOT Released by the Big 4".

In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked Bonded by Blood as 45th on their list of "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".

Thrash metal revival act Bonded by Blood named themselves after the album.

The album remains popular among collectors of physical media.

Tracklist:

1. Bonded by Blood 03:44  
2. Exodus 04:05
3. And Then There Were None 04:40   
4. A Lesson in Violence 03:49
5. Metal Command 04:13  
6. Piranha 03:46   
7. No Love 05:09
8. Deliver Us to Evil 07:08   
9. Strike of the Beast 03:57

Time:  40:31  

First pressing of this issue from 1986, the disc is made in Japan.

Originally packed in heavy smooth-sided jewel case.

Recording information:

Recorded at Prarie Sun Studios, July 1984.

Mixed at Tres Virgos Studios, August 1984.

Mastered at Fantasy Studios.

Ken Adams – executive production

Todd Gordon – executive production

Mark Whitaker – production, assistant engineering, mixing

John Volaitis – engineering

Robin Yeager – mixing at Tres Virgos Studios, San Rafael, California August 1984

Gordon Lyons "The Triple Threat" – assistant mixing

George Horn – mixing, mastering at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California

Exodus "Bonded By Blood (1999 Reissue, Remastered, Germany, Century Media, 66024-2)"

Bonded by Blood is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus. Although the album was completed in the summer of 1984, it was not released until 1985 due to issues with Exodus and the record label. It is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time. This is also the only full-length studio album of Exodus to feature Paul Baloff on vocals, though he was also on their 1982 Demo and appeared on their 1997 live album Another Lesson in Violence.

In 2008, Exodus re-recorded Bonded by Blood and re-released it as Let There Be Blood, featuring a new line-up of members aside from drummer Tom Hunting and guitarist Gary Holt who played on the original.

Bonded by Blood was originally titled A Lesson in Violence, but had its name changed when a suitable cover idea could not be found. An advance cassette copy of the album (with the original title) was widely distributed through the tape-trading network upon the record's completion late in the summer of 1984, creating an immense underground buzz prior to the official release of the LP. The release was delayed, however, due to problems with the artwork.

The song "Impaler" was originally to be featured on Bonded by Blood, but it was abandoned when Kirk Hammett took the main riff with him to Metallica (it was used on "Trapped Under Ice"). The song eventually appeared on the 1997 live album Another Lesson in Violence, and then as a studio recording on the band's 2004 comeback album Tempo of the Damned with Steve "Zetro" Souza on vocals.

The original album cover art was an illustration of good and evil conjoined twin infants. For the 1989 reissue this cover was replaced with the band logo on a red and black image of a crowd. The album was remastered and re-issued by Century Media in 1999 in Europe only, with two live tracks from its Combat re-release in 1989, featuring Steve "Zetro" Souza on vocals. This reissue from Century Media restored the original twin cover artwork.

In a contemporary review, Bernard Doe of Metal Forces defined Bonded by Blood "a classic album in the thrash metal sense which is sure to be sneered at by the unconverted and mainstream media."

Bonded by Blood received a positive modern review from Eduardo Rivadavia of AllMusic, who states: "Had it been released immediately after it was recorded in 1984, Exodus' Bonded by Blood might be regarded today alongside Metallica's Kill 'Em All as one of the landmark albums responsible for launching the thrash metal wave" and adds that "Exodus were left to wonder what kind of impact they may have had without these setbacks." Rivadavia also described Bonded by Blood as "an album whose influence far exceeds its actual notoriety, and it remains a crucial piece of the thrash metal puzzle – essential." Canadian journalist Martin Popoff described Exodus as a band "doing what Metallica did best, and doing it with killer underground savagery", and considered Bonded by Blood "a solid, forward-thinking record". However, he observed that their "purist lack of compromise made [Exodus] somehow toneless and haranguing compared to multi-dimensional personalities like Metallica and Megadeth."

In 2003, Bonded by Blood was named one of "The Best 25 Heavy Metal Albums of All Time" in Sound of the Beast: The Complete Headbanging History of Heavy Metal, by Ian Christe.

In 2013, Bonded by Blood was ranked number 80 on Metal Rules' 'Top 100 Heavy Metal Albums'. In August 2014, Revolver placed the album on its "14 Thrash Albums You Need to Own" list. The album was ranked number one on Loudwire's top ten list of "Thrash Albums NOT Released by the Big 4".

In 2017, Rolling Stone ranked Bonded by Blood as 45th on their list of "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time".

Thrash metal revival act Bonded by Blood named themselves after the album.

The album remains popular among collectors of physical media.

Tracklist:

1. Bonded by Blood 03:44  
2. Exodus 04:05
3. And Then There Were None 04:40   
4. A Lesson in Violence 03:49
5. Metal Command 04:13  
6. Piranha 03:46   
7. No Love 05:09
8. Deliver Us to Evil 07:08   
9. Strike of the Beast 03:57
10. And Then There Were None (live) 05:11
11. A Lesson in Violence (live) 04:01  

Time:  49:43  

℗ 1999 Lonely Planet Productions under license from Relativity Rec.

© 1999 Copyright Control

Recording information:

Recorded at Prarie Sun Studios, July 1984.

Mixed at Tres Virgos Studios, August 1984.

Mastered at Fantasy Studios.

Ken Adams – executive production

Todd Gordon – executive production

Mark Whitaker – production, assistant engineering, mixing

John Volaitis – engineering

Robin Yeager – mixing at Tres Virgos Studios, San Rafael, California August 1984

Gordon Lyons "The Triple Threat" – assistant mixing

George Horn – mixing, mastering at Fantasy Studios, Berkeley, California

The bonus tracks were recorded live at the Astoria (London, England), March 8th, 1989.

Remixed at Alpha & Omega Recordings (San Francisco, California).

Exodus "Fabulous Disaster (UK, Music For Nations, CD MFN 90)"

Fabulous Disaster is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus. It was released on January 30, 1989 on the UK label Music for Nations, while the US version was released on Combat/Relativity Records. In 1999, Century Media remastered and reissued the band's first three albums in Europe only.

Fabulous Disaster was Tom Hunting's last release with Exodus until the 1997 live album Another Lesson in Violence. Additionally, it was the first Exodus album not to feature a lineup change from after one consecutive studio album, and one of two albums to include two song covers (the other being 1992's Force of Habit).

Exodus toured for five months to promote Fabulous Disaster. The band embarked on a month-long European tour with Nuclear Assault and Acid Reign. In the spring of 1989, Exodus landed a supporting slot for the Headbangers Ball tour with Anthrax and Helloween, exposing the band to a wide thrash metal audience. Exodus then embarked on another North American tour, which lasted from May to July 1989; supporting acts were Sick of It All, Faith or Fear, Forbidden, Dead Orchestra and Wehrmacht. The band wrapped up the tour at The Fillmore on July 14, 1989; this show was recorded on the band's first live album Good Friendly Violent Fun, which was released two years later.

In a contemporary review, Kerrang! journalist Don Kaye praised the album and paired it to Bonded by Blood for confidence and aggression, qualities which were slightly missing in Pleasures of the Flesh. He judged Fabulous Disaster as "one of the very best of the genre in 1989."

Fabulous Disaster received a positive modern review from AllMusic's Eduardo Rivadavia, who stated that Exodus "went on to create their most diverse and carefully conceived effort yet, while remaining faithful to their no-frills thrash ethic." He then added that "the album represented the realization of their vision, as well as their commercial peak" but "still failed to gain them their well-deserved place alongside such thrash metal giants as Megadeth, Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer." By contrast, Canadian journalist Martin Popoff remarked how Exodus remained the "last custodians of a manic but toneless thrash, high on allegiance, low on hummability" and easily forgettable.

Fabulous Disaster debuted at No. 82 on the Billboard 200. No singles were released to promote the album, but the songs "The Toxic Waltz" and "Low Rider" got regular airplay on radio stations, including Los Angeles, California radio station KNAC. A video was made for "The Toxic Waltz", which received a good amount of airplay on MTV's Headbangers Ball. The lead off track, "The Last Act of Defiance" was inspired by the New Mexico State Penitentiary riot that took place in February 1980.

Track listing

All tracks are written by Exodus, except where noted.

1. "The Last Act of Defiance" 4:44
2. "Fabulous Disaster" 4:54
3. "The Toxic Waltz" 4:51
4. "Low Rider" (War cover) War, Jerry Goldstein 2:48
5. "Cajun Hell" 6:05
6. "Like Father, Like Son" 8:11
7. "Corruption" 5:46
8. "Verbal Razors" 4:07
9. "Open Season" 3:54

Total length: 45:20

Bonus track on CD and black-on-black vinyl issues

1. "Overdose" (AC/DC cover) Angus Young, Malcolm Young, Bon Scott 5:31

Total time:  50:36

Music video:

• The Toxic Waltz

Trivia:

- The album peaked at #82 on the Billboard 200.

- Some versions of Fabulous Disaster misprinted the color of the Exodus logo in red and yellow rather than red and green.

- Contrary to the copyright date of 1988 on original pressings by Music for Nations, an ad from the label confirms an otherwise official release date of January 30th, 1989.

Recording information:

Recorded at Alpha & Omega Recording, S.F., CA.

Mixed at Different Fur Studios, S.F., CA.

Mastered L.A., CA.

Marc Senesac – production, engineering, mixing

Gary Holt – production, mixing

Rick Hunolt – production, mixing

David Plank – engineering

Chad Munsey – mixing assistant

Bernie Grundman – mastering