Veteran guitarist Gary Holt recently opened up about his unwavering dedication to Exodus, the legendary thrash metal institution he joined more than four decades ago. In a new interview with the “Moshville Times,” the 61-year-old musician reflected on his deep-rooted connection to the group, the financial realities of his career, and his unexpectedly diverse musical inspirations.
When asked what has kept his focus locked on Exodus for nearly 45 years, Holt explained that the band simply represents his way of life. Even during his extensive, high-profile tenure filling in for Slayer, he constantly missed his musical home.
“It’s a way of life, being in Exodus. Even in the years I spent [touring] with SLAYER, I missed this. I missed it. And when Slayer played their final show, I went from two nights sold out at the L.A. Forum [with Slayer] to two months later, I was showering in some really sketchy German venue shower [on tour with Exodus], and I loved it. It was awesome. You go through extremes of — from the highest level to comfort to, ‘Do I wanna step there?’ And it’s okay. I love it. I love doing this. This is the band I joined when I was 17 years old. And I’ll be 62 in May, and I’m still here. What’s not the love. I’m not rich, but I make a living playing guitar, and that’s a gift in itself. I can’t retire — I gotta keep working — but I love my job. So working isn’t a problem,” he said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
Shifting the conversation to his creative process, the guitarist was asked where he draws his inspiration. Rather than pointing to contemporary heavy metal, Holt revealed a surprising affinity for pop, soft rock, and R&B icons.
“I have no idea. I don’t know. I mean, it’d be easy for some people to say, ‘Well, I listen to a lot of modern metal and I take a lot of influence from that,’ but I don’t. I listen to Adele. The only album I listen to is everything by Adele. I’m obsessed. I love Adele. And my radio in my car is either on sports talk radio or soft rock. Maybe I’m getting some influence by Christopher Cross. I don’t know. And Prince — Prince is my musical hero. I probably subconsciously take as much influence from him as I do anyone else. But I still listen to the same rock I did in high school — Nazareth and Thin Lizzy and Ted Nugent and AC/DC and Scorpions and all that stuff. And I still write the same way I always did. I just sit down and jam and play until something sticks.”
Fans will be able to hear that time-tested creative approach on the band’s upcoming twelfth studio album. Titled Goliath, the self-produced record is officially due on March 20 via Napalm Records, featuring mixing and mastering by Mark Lewis (known for his work with Whitechapel, Nile, and Undeath).
