Bay Area thrash architects Exodus are preparing to unleash Goliath, their highly anticipated twelfth studio LP, arriving on March 20 via Napalm Records. During a recent sit-down with Brando on the “Appetite For Distortion” podcast, Gary Holt opened up about the band’s relentless creative drive, the magic of their latest recording sessions, and how it feels to still be pushing boundaries over forty years into their career.
When questioned if the thrill of releasing new music is still there after all these decades, Gary was clear that the band’s core motivation hasn’t changed.
“Well, we write for an audience of five — ourselves. Any legitimate band, that’s what you’re supposed to do. You write for yourself and you hope other people like it too. We write to make ourselves happy,” Holt said (as transcribed by Blabbermouth).
Rather than walking into the studio with a rigid, finalized tracklist, Exodus opted for a more organic writing environment. Gary noted that living together and keeping their gear constantly ready allowed the band to capture lightning in a bottle, drawing inspiration from legendary acts of the past.
“We were in the studio for two months, but the way Exodus records is we leave everything set up for the whole time and we write through the whole process.”
He elaborated on just how productive this communal approach ended up being alongside guitarist Lee Altus and drummer Tom Hunting:
“We went in with — I think I had five [songs] done [before we started recording] and we recorded 18 songs. Lee [Altus, Exodus guitarist] contributed a lot for this album, and it was the biggest collaborative effort we ever had. But we write the whole way through. We’ve learned — why limit yourself to going in with a finished set of songs and just recording them? We write some of our best stuff in the last week. [it’s all] set up. [Drummer] Tom [Hunting gets] back on the kit. We don’t tear ’em down anymore. And a lot of our favorite bands in the ’70s worked like that. Deep Purple went to Lake Geneva. The last album we did, we went to Lake Almanor, where Tom lives. And Queen would go to some chateau somewhere and they’d walk in with no songs, work on an album. And we like working like that, ’cause we live together and in a rental house and we write the whole time. There’s guitars everywhere, and when we’re done in the studio, we go and barbecue and we hang out and we continue to play. And it just keeps the creativity going 24-7. You never stop. And why put the brakes on it? Our goal was to finish this in the follow-up album all at once, and we came, like, two songs shy for the next album. We have eight in the can.”
Despite the massive output—nearly writing enough material for two full records—the band didn’t let expectations weigh them down. In fact, Gary revealed that the lack of pressure is exactly what makes the music so strong, and it resulted in an album that even he can’t stop spinning:
“Well, in a way maybe, but in a way also not really. ‘Cause we’re having so much fun when we do this that it’s no pressure. We’re still the same kids we started out as, and we’re just jamming and, like, see what happens. We don’t prescribe to preset rules. We’re gonna do whatever we want — for better or for worse — whatever we think is cool. And when everybody’s on the same wavelength and is equally focused, great things happen. And we knew this album was special. I mean, I like all my albums; they’re like children. But I never listen to ’em past the mixing stage ’cause I’ve heard it a thousand times, and I’m also bored and I wanna do a new one and it’s not even out. And I still listen to this album.”
That infectious studio energy has Gary eagerly looking forward to both getting back on the road and eventually returning to the writing room:
“Yeah, it’s totally different [from listening to the songs in the studio for the thousandth time]. I’m ready to play ’em live, and as far as the studio, I’m ready to create again. But we were on a creative tear on this record that just, why stop it? We were, like, if we could finish the next album, we could take a little break in between albums. It’s done. Get some artwork together, go on vacation, relax. We’re getting older. It would shorten the gap in between the albums substantially. And we almost got there. And it’s gonna make our job a lot easier. We need two more, and by then, Lee and I’ll have 10 more. But there’s worse problems to have [than] too much music.”
A massive element of the upcoming album is the return of frontman Rob Dukes, who stepped back into the vocalist spot in January 2025 following the departure of Steve “Zetro” Souza. His presence fundamentally altered the band’s approach during the sessions.
“Awesome. He came in to this record and he completely blew our minds. We knew he could do aggro, violent thrash better than anybody. He came in and showed he has a whole another bag of tricks that he had developed. And because of the fact that we create as we go, when we saw these new layers he was unpeeling, it will change the way I write, and the way everybody writes. And so it opens up all these doors that it’s just up to you to turn the handle and walk in. And we just were super thrilled with what he did. It’s f**king amazing.”
Fans have already been treated to a preview of the record via last month’s release of the bruising lead single, “3111”. The highly collaborative album also boasts guest appearances by Peter Tägtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain) and violinist Katie Jacoby.
Notably, Goliath represents a significant behind-the-scenes shift for Exodus. It is the first time in close to thirty years that the band hasn’t utilized the mixing talents of Andy Sneap, who has been occupied with his producing and live guitar duties for Judas Priest over the last eight years.
Goliath Tracklist:
- “3111”
- “Hostis Humani Generis”
- “The Changing Me” (feat. Peter Tägtgren)
- “Promise You This”
- “Goliath” (feat. Katie Jacoby)
- “Beyond The Event Horizon”
- “2 Minutes Hate”
- “Violence Works”
- “Summon Of The God Unknown”
- “The Dirtiest Of The Dozen”
