FOUNDRYMUSIC INTERVIEW WITH GARY HOLT OF EXODUS
Here we have an interview with THE Gary Holt of THE Exodus! That's right, THE Exodus! We got to annoy Gary for a little while with our stupidity and he proved himself to be a great sport. We gave our relatively new writer, FoundryMusicRobin a shot at this one, and when I got the questions back, I saw that they might need a little help. So rather than be a nice guy and suggest tweaks ahead of time, I played bad cop and added my own smart ass questions. Enjoy the interview and don't forget to pick up a copy of Let There Be Blood, which was just released on October 28.
FoundryMusicRobin: What’s the concept behind the 2007 The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit A?
Gary Holt: It’s not a concept album in the classic sense, but there are themes that run through it, and they deal with Christianity and the atrocities done on its behalf.
FoundryMusicRobin: How does this new CD The Atrocity Exhibition: Exhibit B, which is due for a 2009 summer release compare to Exhibit A?
Gary Holt: Hahaha! Exhibit B won’t be coming out be summer’09! We originally hoped to make this happen but we have more tour commitments and such, so that has put up some road blocks in that idea. But we have four songs finished and recorded and I am working on nine more, Lee has a bunch of riffs and I have never been more excited about an upcoming record.
FoundryMusicRob: Don’t you love it when journalists do all their homework before an interview so you don’t have to bother explaining basic things about the band and it’s music?
Gary Holt: Like Kirk Hammett was an original member? I have never been asked that before!
FoundryMusicRobin: What direction is the music heading in, and how will it relate to your previous CDs?
Gary Holt: Insanely heavy, but more guitar harmonies and dual guitar stuff, super intricate at times and cave man brutal as well.
FoundryMusicRobin: Do you think you that you approached this project differently than your other albums?
Gary Holt: Well, I am still in the process of approaching it. But one thing I am doing is working really hard long before the time comes that I usually get started, so I have a big head start on this one. By the time we start tracking there will be a lot of material to choose from
FoundryMusicRobin: How excited is Exodus to finally be touring with Kreator?
Gary Holt: Way excited. We did a five show festival tour together in ’97 but this is the first full length tour we’ve done with them, so this is going to be good for thrash, good for the fans, and very heavy.
FoundryMusicRobin: Any mental breakdowns or apparitions or general invocation of weird shit in the studio you’d care to relate?
Gary Holt: The only thing weird in the studio where Exodus is concerned would be the band themselves.
FoundryMusicRob: Is it true you allowed a Ouija board to decide the chord changes for most of the album. Is it also true that when you did not allow it to make the choices that it would make it rain indoors?
Gary Holt: The indoor rain proved to be problematic for the equipment. The Ouija board really let’s down on that one. We’ve since turned to Dion Warrick and the defunct Physic Friends Network for advice.
FoundryMusicRobin: Can you talk about the specific tracks and what the thought process was in creating them? Do you favor any tracks on the A and or B CD?
Gary Holt: On A, I’d have to say Iconoclasm, Children of a worthless God, and the title track. Exhibit B, still in the process.
FoundryMusicRob: We only really have enough money for one of these, so please, make it easy and tell us which one is better so we don’t waste money on the crappy one.
Gary Holt: Rob someone and buy both.
FoundryMusicRobin: Music has changed a lot since you began, and I’m sure your influences have changed as well. What drives you to continue playing and what are your current influences in music and in life in general?
Gary Holt: I love doing this, even when asked annoying questions?
Influences? Everything from Venom and Angelwitch to Richard Dawkins.
FoundryMusicRobin: Are there any new circumstances or line-up/label changes for the band that have had an effect on these 2 latest CDs recordings?
Gary Holt: Rob and Lee’s addition for sure. Having everybody equally dedicated makes a huge difference.
FoundryMusicRob: Speaking of changes, do you have any “lucky” clothes? Like a pair of boxers you absolutely must wear at each gig?
Gary Holt: Only a vial of menstrual blood I keep close to my heart.
FoundryMusicRobin: What irritates you most living on a tour bus?!
Gary Holt: Space. Or lack thereof.
FoundryMusicRob: Living in close quarters like a bus can be lethal. Out of all the people that ride with you, whose farts could clear a Mexican brothel?
Gary Holt: Come on board some time and take the sniff test and you can discover for yourself!
FoundryMusicRobin: Any last comments for your die-hard fans?
Gary Holt: Without them we have no reason to be.
FoundryMusicRob: Any last comments for your casual listeners?
Gary Holt: What is this, casual Friday at work?
Thanks again to Gary for a great interview.
Remember to go and get a copy of Let There Be Blood wherever you get music from. (Click the link!)
Also, head over to http://www.exodusattack.com/ for all your Exodus needs!
