HATRIOT / former EXODUS frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza is featured in a new interview with Metal Hangar 18. An excerpt is available below:

Q: What does the name of the band mean and is there any connection with the Exodus song 'Scar Spangled Banner'? Tell us the story of the band in just few sentences.

Souza: "I did get the name from 'Scar Spangled Banner', but it does not necessarily have a political meaning. My definition of a Hatriot is a person who loves their country but does not always agree with the way the government does things. The name sounds aggressive and is perfect for a thrash metal project. As for the story, I met my guitarist Kosta at a show his band was playing. The kid blew me away. After the show we sat and talked metal for a few hours and I knew that the kid was the real deal. I had to jam with this guy. So the band was basically built around Kosta’s amazing ability to write and structure thrash metal songs. He is a natural at this stuff."

Q: What can fans expect as genre and sound from the new band? Introduce the other members and where they come from! Are there any famous names in the band?

Souza: "Hatriot is a pure thrash metal project with some modern overtones. I think it is the natural next step from what I did with the Exodus' Tempo Of The Damned record. The music is ferocious and the vocals are over the top aggression. My band mates are much younger than I am, and all of them are from the bay area. I have Kosta Varvatakis and Miguel Esparza on guitars, my son Cody Souza is on bass, and we are looking for a full time drummer now. There are no famous names in the band… yet!"

Q: What themes will your lyrics expose and where are your music roots? On what audience do you count on?

Souza: "I count on the old school metal audience. The old school thrashers. They know what to expect from me and understand it. Lyric themes? Anything that is dark – from murder to vampires. From social issues to serial killers. Anything that intrigues me I will write about it. Whatever goes on in my twisted fucking head at the time!"

Click here for the complete interview. Check out Hatriot's official website here.