EXODUS Frontman STEVE "ZETRO" SOUZA Looks Back On Touring In 1989 - "There Were No Rules, And We Thought We Were Invincible"

October 30, 2021, 3 years ago

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EXODUS Frontman STEVE "ZETRO" SOUZA Looks Back On Touring In 1989 - "There Were No Rules, And We Thought We Were Invincible"

Exodus frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza recently spoke with Heavy New York about the band's new album, Persona Non Grata. he also looked back on the band's Good Friendly Violent Fun live album, which is celebrating its 30th Anniversary this year

On the band's 1989 tour for Fabulous Disaster

Zetro: "There were no rules - none - and we thought we were invincible. I shit you not, it was like... I would get a call from Gary (Holt / guitars): 'Guess what we're going to go do...?' One of those types of things. 

I remember one time we had to go to Cabo Wabo and play this four-day thing, and all we had to do was just play one set and show up for four days and go to all these cool events that fans pay to go to, to hang out with you. And I was like, 'Oh my god, come on, mom, give me a break, I'm flying to fucking Mexico. I'm 26 years old but getting paid for fans to hang out with me, I have to play one set, get fucked up, party, screw everything in fucking sight, oh my god!' That was the time period, and it was just one of those things... I would never change it for the world, but I don't know how the fuck we survived.

I remember the road manager going, it was the dawn of AIDS, and I remember him putting a fucking huge case of Trojans condoms up in the cabinet in the bus: 'Look, you fucking morons, make sure if you're going to slap it, wrap it. They're all fucking right here, use them, and I mean it, you idiots. You fucking guys want to fuck these girls, you go put these on your dicks - I mean it!' It was funny, and we had a name for him; we called him Johnny. We were like, 'Give me a Johnny, go on the bus and get a fucking Johnny and go do it.' It was a different mentality."

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:


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