EXODUS Singer On Next Album: 'We're Writing Right Now'

EXODUS singer Steve "Zetro" Souza spoke to That Drummer Guy (a.k.a. Josh Rundquist) about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out" album. He said (hear audio below): "We're writing right now. We obviously have to pay attention to SLAYER's schedule, because our main guy [EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt also] plays in SLAYER, so we have to pay attention to that. But I think they're coming to a bit of an end [of their touring cycle] where he's gonna have some time. And he's already gotten together with Tom [Hunting, EXODUS drummer] in the early part of this year and put some songs together. So it's definitely there. We're looking, probably, November, December, January — something like that — to get into the studio."

Zetro said that he generally waits for the music to a new EXODUS song to be completed before he begins writing lyrics to it. "I think it's always worked better for me that way," he said. "And this gives Gary a good chance to listen to the song musically and know what direction lyrically he wants to go. So even though I may write the lyrics, he may come up with the idea."

"Blood In Blood Out" was EXODUS's first album since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

Holt spoke in a recent interview about the musical direction of EXODUS's next disc. He said: "Of the stuff I've written so far, I think the songs are shorter, but I think they're also at the same time more progressive than the last album. It's a little outside the box. It's really super crushing, but I think people will be surprised."

He added: "It's an EXODUS album, but as of now, the stuff Tom and I have been putting together is a bit different. It's got those subtle changes that make for a departure, but it will still stay true to the core of the band's sound."