While Tom Hunting recovers from surgery, Exodus have enlisted drummer John Tempesta (who was a member of the band from 1989 until 1993) to perform with them at two upcoming live dates - Psycho Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada on on August 22, and at Full Terror Assault in Cave In Rock, Illinois September 8-11.

Says the band: "Due to Tom’s continued recovery from his surgery, we are announcing that for our show in Vegas and Full Terror Assault, we will be joined by John Tempesta on drums!! John was Tom’s (and our) number one choice to jump behind the kit in his absence, and John will kill it while Tom continues his recovery, which is going very well!! Looking forward to seeing everyone who is coming to Vegas for the show. And looking forward to getting Tom healthy and back behind his kit as soon as possible! But let’s welcome John back for two shows where he started."

Says Tom Hunting: "Hey y'all, I'm 5 weeks out from the surgery and on the mend. I'm feeling stronger all the time and I'm beyond excited to get back to working out on the drums. Unfortunately I won't be ready for the upcoming Vegas and Full Terror Assault shows. Originally I thought if I could walk, I could play. I need to manage my own expectations, and then work my very core back into shape to be fully ready for action. I have no doubt I'll bounce back and get there. I wanna express my undying love and gratitude to our brother Johnny Tempesta for agreeing to play in my absence. I'm 100% sure he will crush playing this music! I'll check in again very soon. Thanks Soooo Much And CHEERS EVERYONE!!!!"

Exodus and Incendium are teaming up for the launch of Tales Of The Damned, a four-issue comic book anthology series that explores classic tracks from the band, a legendary pioneer in the thrash metal genre. The terrifying “Organist” from Exodus artwork and lore will also be immortalized as an action figure.

Published under Incendium’s music-focused OPUS imprint, the first issue riffs on the title track of 2004’s Tempo Of The Damned and is crafted by horror masters, writer Ian Edginton (Aliens, Predator, 2000AD) and artist Luis Guaragna (John Carpenter’s Tales For A Halloween Night). Tales Of The Damned #1 features cover artwork by Ryan Christensen that showcases the “Organist.”

In the bone-chilling first issue of Tales Of The Damned, a teenage girl goes missing after becoming obsessed with “The Wavelength,” a mysterious signal coming from an elusive radio station. Her protective older sister’s search leads to an abandoned town, where she not only unravels the mystery of her sister’s disappearance but also of the cursed music behind it…The Tempo of the Damned.

“I’m super excited to see this project come to life. Exodus and comics go hand in hand, and to see the ‘Organist’ come to life in book form and as an action figure? Totally awesome! I’m looking forward to reading Tales Of The Damned!” said Exodus guitarist and bandleader Gary Holt.

“Exodus’ Tales Of The Damned is our bloody tribute to the Bay Area legends. We’re all about Myths, Monsters, and Metal here at Incendium, so this unholy alliance has been a blast!” added Llexi Leon, CEO of Incendium.

The debut of the comic book series coincides with the release of Exodus’ new album, Persona Non Grata, which the legendary thrash metal band recorded themselves from home-built studios with the help of Andy Sneap on mixing and mastering and with Steve Lagudi at the helm of engineering. Their groundbreaking eleventh studio album, Persona Non Grata, will be released by Exodus Records.

Tales Of The Damned is a quarterly anthology series; the first print edition of each issue will be released as a prestige-format limited edition collectible comic book, featuring cardstock covers, specialty foil treatments, glossy pages, and individual numbering.

The first printing of each issue will be limited to 1500 copies at $16.66, and available to order here. The first issue is available to order now and ships on October 31, 2021. The “Organist” action figure is also available to pre-order for $29.95, shipping Q1 2022.

Tales Of The Damned #1 credits:

Cover Artwork by Ryan Christensen
Interior Artwork by Luis Guaragna
Written by Ian Edginton
Letters by Jacob Bascle
Edited by Llexi Leon and Denton J. Tipton
Exodus “Organist” Figbiz Action Figure by Incendium