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Firstly, thank you for doing this interview. Exodus has been a
monumental source of inspiration, so far, and we are proud of
posting this on our beloved web-zine.
I’m not a big fan of wrapping up thorny questions, so you’ll
have to live with a rather direct approach. You just released
the same album (Bonded by Blood / Let There be Blood) for the
fourth time. The jungle drums are singing of Exodus milking the
golden calf. I’m sorry to tell you this, but the word “sellout”
has been mentioned.
Exodus - Third time if you want to be specific. The
original, the live record and this.
Sell out? If anyone thinks I really make any money from records
I’d like them to show me where it is! Haha! And sell out is
pretty harsh considering Exodus have been releasing the heaviest
most relevant records one after the other. The one thing no one
can say is we’ve ever sold out.
But so far the reviews have been really positive so some people
have been open about this and seem to like it a lot.
Why did you think it was important to re-release the album
(again)?
Exodus - We wanted to show how relevant these songs still
are and pay homage to the original.
But some people are not going to dig the idea, some are. But
anyone who says we didn’t do them justice are confused. But I
have always been very understanding when people don’t see why we
should do this. It just means they love our debut that much. How
can someone get mad at that? I always say, this doesn’t make the
original disappear into a cloud of smoke, nor should it. I would
never want anyone to stop listening to Bonded. This is just a
companion piece
How do you feel about these accusations about selling out?
Exodus - As I said, someone please show me the money!
We have never made any money from record sales, not then and not
now. And we are not alone. This is a very foreign concept to
me. We, like many other bands, depend on tours, merch and other
avenues to make a penny in this business. Hell, even in best of
times we never saw any money. This is a pretty shitty business
to tell the truth. I just happen to love what I do. And I have
no other job skills!
And never underestimate that many younger fans may discover
Bonded through this, a backwards way for sure, but the more who
hear Paul’s vocals on the original the better.
On the good side: You’ve probably heard about the so-called
“Great Four” in Thrash Metal (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and
Anthrax). A lot of people think that Exodus should take up a
fifth place – or even become one of the four, on behalf of one
of the others. Personally, I think such popularity contest are
pretty boring, so I would just like to know what bands
influenced Exodus, before Thrash got its own name, and after.
Exodus - Venom, Mercyful Fate and Angelwitch are huge to
me. And of course Black Sabbath, Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.
To what degree did Kirk Hammet define the sound of Exodus – a
sound that you have kept alive since the first album?
Exodus - He wrote some great riffs and great songs, but
if you listen to the Kirk era stuff and the stuff that followed
they really sound nothing alike. He defined the sound when he
was in the band and I redefined it when he left. But Kirk was a
huge influence on me as a player though, he taught me my first
guitar chords, got me started doing this. I owe him for that.
Taught me my first song, some random Rolling Stones song that I
can’t remember!
But enough can’t be said about Kirk’s contribution to thrash
metal, after all he was a part of Exodus AND Metallica.
Talking of the first album (which is now, also the latest): Why
did you change the name from Bonded in Blood?
Exodus - On the new release? Because this simply isn’t
Bonded By Blood. And we aren’t trying to replace it. That would
be the result if we used the same title, would it not?
I like to keep the interviews short, so I’ll cut here. I have
one last question though, that is not really connected to
anything:
If you could choose anyone, what band(s) would you like support
Exodus at its next concert?
Exodus - Barathrum
Thank you again for taking these questions.
Exodus - My pleasure!
Martin Schjönning |
