Rob Dukes Is Currently Recording Vocals For New Exodus Album, Calls It ‘The Best Thing I’ve Ever Done’ With The Band

The highly anticipated follow-up to Exodus‘s 2021 album, Persona Non Grata, is taking shape, with singer Rob Dukes currently in the studio laying down vocals. This upcoming release marks Dukes‘s return to the thrash metal band after the departure of Steve “Zetro” Souza, a change that has generated considerable buzz among fans.

Speaking with Chicago’s Rebel Radio 92.5 FM, Dukes confirmed his active role in the recording process. “I’m actually in the studio right now. I’m recording right now. I’m about to walk in now and start screaming,” he shared (as transcribed by Blabbermouth), highlighting the immediate nature of his work. According to Dukes, the bulk of the album’s recording is largely complete.

Dukes also revealed his significant creative contribution to the new material. While Exodus guitarist and primary songwriter Gary Holt typically handles lyrics, Dukes penned the words for three or four songs on the upcoming record, calling it a “huge honor.” He detailed the collaborative process: “Sometimes Gary will say, ‘Well, here’s the lyrics. Go ahead and see what you could do with it.’ And then if it doesn’t match his melody that he came up with, then we’ll just make the changes on the fly and do it.” He further explained that Holt sometimes provides a “vocal scratch” to guide his delivery, allowing for on-the-spot adjustments to fit the music.

Currently, Dukes is in Nashville working with producer Mark Lewis, focusing on finishing two remaining songs and making minor adjustments across the entire album. He mentioned refining certain parts, drawing on his recent live experience. “Luckily, we got to go to Europe [this spring]. We [recorded most of] the album and then we left for tour. We did a U.S. tour and a Europe tour. So I’ve been listening to the songs for a couple months, so I’ve been just kind of digesting them and making just subtle changes where now that I’ve been singing on the regular for the last two months, I’m, like, ‘I think I can do that better now.'”

Dukes offered strong praise for the new music, asserting, “It’s killer. It’s the best thing I’ve ever done with Exodus.” He believes the forthcoming album surpasses 2010’s Exhibit B: The Human Condition, which he previously considered among his finest work with the band. He also teased a fresh direction, stating: “It’s so different than what we’ve done. We’ve added so many little different things that it’s still Exodus, but we’ve definitely stepped outside the box a little bit and tried a few different things and it worked well…” He described the album as “fast,” “dark,” and “awesome,” anticipating that it will be “a lot of fun to go play these songs live.”

Rob Dukes initially joined Exodus in January 2005, following Steve “Zetro” Souza’s departure at the time. During his first tenure, Dukes appeared on four studio albums: Shovel Headed Kill Machine (2005), The Atrocity Exhibition… Exhibit A (2007), Let There Be Blood (2008), and Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010). He remained with the band until 2014, when Souza rejoined, before Dukes‘s recent return to the vocal microphone.