Exodus return with their eleventh studio album, Persona Non Grata, out November 19 via Nuclear Blast Records. TotalRock and Metal Shock Finland's Alison Booth recently spoke with drummer Tom Hunting for her radio show Blackdiamond's Metal Mayhem. Tom discussed the forthcoming album, and more.

About recording in home studios, Tom revealed: “Usually, when it comes time to track drums, we have the songs and arrangements worked out, but I usually only have like seven or eight days to set up, get my tracks in and then I can never revisit or redo anything. The way we did it this time, I set up, did my tracks – got it done pretty fast. But if I heard something you know, if I wanted to enhance a riff or whatever, I can go and basically insert a different drum fill or whatever. And that was a great privilege to have for me, ’cause at the end it’s a more beautiful drum template to play, you know? The guys liked it too and the same could be said for them, ’cause we were all stuck here together and it just worked out, everything lined up.
And it was the first time we tried to record this way, so remotely. Usually we do the drums in a proper studio and everything else gets done anywhere. But this time we just did it all, there was a lot of DIY involved. I was nailing up big ass pieces of carpet, you know I had my stapler out – I was stapling pieces of fabric to the ceiling to try and get those sound waves right for the cymbals crashing [laughs].”

Regarding keeping Exodus going after so many years, Tom said: “Well, I’m gonna go with a cliche here and we’ve all said it, everybody in our band. It’s crazy, if you’d asked me, you know when we first started, if the journey would still be going in 2021, I would tell you I don’t think so. But Gary is a force, Gary Holt is a guitar force in this world, our band’s more of a brotherhood than other bands I see that do it like on our level. You know, we’re still best of friends and we’re family you know. I think as younger men doing this we probably were more into it for the party you know and now we’re older, I think we respect the journey a little bit more. It’s the best education I ever could get in my life.”

Read more and listen to the audio interview at Metal Shock Finland.

Literally translating to “an unwelcome” or “unacceptable” person, Persona Non Grata touches on themes of modern societal disgust and degradation. The band gathered at Tom Hunting's house in the mountains where they produced and recorded Persona Non Grata from three home-built studios . Steve Lagudi was at the helm of engineering while the band enlisted Andy Sneap of Backstage Studios to mix the album. For the third time in the band’s history, they returned to Swedish artist Par Olofsson to create the album artwork.

Persona Non Grata will be available in the following formats:

- CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!)
- T-Shirt + CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!)
- T-Shirt
- Cassette – Tinted Red
- CD Jewel + Blu-ray Bonus Disc (Jam Camp!) Long Box (Decibel Magazine Exclusive)
- Double LP
 * Black
 * Red & Mustard Swirl W/ Black Splatter
 * Electric Blue W/ Black & Bone
 * Gold & Bone Swirl W. Black and Mint Green Splatter
 * Green in Mustard W/ Red Splatter
 * Mint Green & Brown W/ Cyan Splatter (EMP Exclusive)
 * Purple & Yellow Swirl W/ Mint Green & Bone Splatter (UK Indie Exclusive)
 * Bone & Beer Swirl W/ Red & Brown Splatter (Revolver Magazine Exclusive)
 * Red & Mustard Swirl W/ Black Splatter (Rebellion Republic Exclusive)
 * Blue Swirl W/ Bone * Black Splatter (U.S. Indie Exclusive)
- Mail Order Boxset – Limited to 2,000 pieces worldwide
 * Orange, Red Swirl W/ Black Splatter
 * 20 page booklet
 * Slipmat
 * CD + Blu-ray Bonus Disc
 * Patch
 * Flag

Pre-order here. Pre-save here.

Tracklisting:

"Persona Non Grata"
"R.E.M.F."
"Slipping Into Madness"
"Elitist"
"Prescribing Horror"
"The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)"
"The Years of Death and Dying"
"Clickbait"
"Cosa Del Pantano"
"Lunatic-Liar-Lord"
"The Fires of Division"
"Antiseed"

"Clickbait" lyric video:

"The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)":

"The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)" video:

Trailers: