It’s been a minute since we’ve had any new EXODUS blasting in our CD and/or MP3 players. But thanks to the Bay Area Thrash Lords’ latest offering of sonic devastation, PERSONA NON GRATA, that problem has been swiftly (and effectively) remedied. And for the record, everyone who’s saying “It’s fine” are WAY off and could not be more wrong! PERSONA NON GRATA is far beyond “fine”: it’s absolutely SICK!!!
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Persona Non Grata
Released November 19, 2021
Label Nuclear Blast
Producer Exodus
Tracks
1. "Persona Non Grata"
2. "R.E.M.F."
3. "Slipping into Madness"
4. "Elitist"
5. "Prescribing Horror"
6. "The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)"
7. "The Years of Death and Dying"
8. "Clickbait"
9. "Cosa del Pantano"
10. "Lunatic-Liar-Lord"
11. "The Fires of Division"
12. "Antiseed"
Total length: 60:18
Members
Steve "Zetro" Souza – lead vocals
Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals
Lee Altus – guitars
Jack Gibson – bass
Tom Hunting – drums, backing vocals
Additional musicians
Rick Hunolt – lead guitar on "Lunatic-Liar-Lord", backing vocals
Kragen Lum - lead guitar on "Lunatic-Liar-Lord"
Cody Souza – backing vocals
Nick Souza – backing vocals
Time to stop all your “diddlin” and “get back” to the jam room for some “copper flavored flan”, embrace your inner, old school “thrash bone” and JOIN US “all day every day” as we Dive into the divine thrash bliss that is EXODUS: PERSONA NON GRATA.
Track by Track
PERSONA NON GRATA:
It’s just straight out “rip your tits off!!”, right outta the gate, FAST!!!! Yay!! (Engage in thrash fueled GLEE!!!!). No lie, I actually came a little when I first heard this…it was like the most epical time travel ever experienced…like going back to high school jam practice and listening to this album the same way we did with Fabulous Disaster back in the day. Yes, THAT good, indeedly, If not better!!! They could not have picked a better opener for this record, let alone a better title.
“I can’t stand the thought of you!!!”
R.E.M.F.:
It’s pure Exodus boner, through and through. Not sure what else can be said that isn’t summed up with “pure Exodus boner,” but that summarizes it pretty succinctly, whether you like it or not. This is actually one of the few times in thrash where the singer of a notable thrash band (Exodus) sounded like the singer of another notable thrash band (Overkill). That’s total Blitz! And yet also totally Zetro. It’s glorious and/also badass!!!
There’s no question: Exodus is part of “The Big FIVE.” Period. The tangentionalality with Kirk and Metallica alone makes it abundantly clear that Exodus deserves to be included for the legends that they are!
“Rear Echelon Mother Fuckers!!!!”
SLIPPING INTO MADNESS:
Pharmaceuticals…you’ll never stop chasing that dragon. That main riff has this angry ZZ Sabbath thing blended with Exodus circa 1987-1989. In short, a thing of sublime, transcendental beauty. And we in the Metal community could not be more tickled. That’s good stuff. It’s like I’m in high school all over again and discovering thrash again! Gloriousness…
“Fire up the hive!”
ELITIST:
I always think it’s cool when the riff starts one way and then the “shape” of it sort of changes when everyone else comes in. Sorry; musician/nerd boner. I like Zetro’s expanded vocal range with the more deathy, Chuck Billy style death vocals (please note obviously prominent levels of tangentionalality). We here at I.U.B.P. Studios very muchly likes the heavy. That’s a fucking heavy, ballsy riff.
“Bang on the gong, to clean the mess up…”
PRESCRIBING HORROR:
Holy shit, this song is ridiculous!!! THIS is fucking EXODUS!!! Progressive, expanded suites, brutal. (Read those lyrics. If you weren’t afraid of Big Pharma before, you will be after this…). If the lyrics and the brutality of this song don’t drive the message home, then you may want to seek serious treatment. Exodus reflect the darkness of our everyday world back to us, one brutally heavy track at a time.
Think of everyone you know. Now think of that part after the solo…yeah. Words have weight. Such weight is necessary when addressing the horrors of our society. Sounds like the lyrical content is based on actual events. The ending really drives the point home.
“They made money hand over fist, selling this toxic waste…”
THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE (UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES)
“1,2,3,4,1234,1234…”
YESSSSSSS!!!!!!! It’s like it’s 1989 all over again, but even BETTER!!! As I recall, this may have been one of the very first (if not the first) track released from Persona Non Grata prior to its release. And immediately…fuun!!!! It’s got that “Fabulous Disaster” feel to it, with generous sprinklings from other eras as well.
“Soon you’ll like it...”
THE YEARS OF DEATH AND DYING:
A little slower, a little heavier. That crushing, Exodus groove. It kinda feels like the old school, first wave thrash bands have really raised the bar with the heavier, groovier sounding stuff. This has that classic Exodus sound. Even that fucking outro sounds like 1989!!! HAIL!! Legends!!
“When a gale force wind blows through you, you’ll know that you are mine.”
CLICKBAIT:
This just sounds like “sonic FUCK YOU!” right outta the gate!! No lube, just straight in. Hope you put on your seatbelts first. We assumed you knew it’d be a bit “rapid”. Don’t deny the power of Metal Nerdery Podcast to blow your mind with amazing, modern-day Thrash from also back in the day. It’s the circle of life. The circle of Thrash.
“In with the lies, out with the truth, all facts just disappear…”
COSA DEL PANTANO
Hmmm…this is different. Sort of…Like one of those killer acoustic intros before something absolutely brutal and thrashtactical. Hmmm…
BTW, this translates to “Swamp Thing.”
LUNATIC-LIAR-LORD:
Ah, HA! Just as I suspected…well done boys! You nailed the FUCK out of it!! We can only assume that some of the riff secrets of Slayer that are stored in Kerry Fucking King’s Fucking Beard may have added a little extra secret spice to the Exodus riff sauce, however subtle (and tasty). There’s very much the sound of Exodus; like it feels like the late 80’s again; it just has that energy. That old school feel. It’s like the Fabulous Disaster for this millennium. Only different. And better. Those tribal drums definitely give the song a sinister and mysterious finish.
“I sing this day, a requiem. A funeral dirge to the war on Christ…”
THE FIRES OF DIVISION:
What a brilliantly confusing start to this madness! If you give it a second, you’ll see what’s going on, but it takes a second to catch on. And then once it does…AHHHHH!!!! The riffs, the production, the heaviness…those harmonies scream of the good old days.
“This is our time, our moment for mutiny, give me death or liberty.”
ANTISEED:
Just based on the intro alone, you can just tell it’s going to be one of those raw, brutal, “booking along hella” type of killer closers. (And yes, of course, it is!). This song is just ridiculous fast! If you have any doubts, just pay attention to those insanely fast double-bass drum triplets that Mr. Hunting is playing throughout the ending...yeah, WAY more than just “fine.” It’s LEGENDARY!!!
“The smell of mankind rotting on the vine, the season of decline…”
Show Notes:
(00:01): #pissandcopper #deepbreath #andbegin ***WELCOME BACK TO METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** #totalandcomplete #smoked and #fried and #basic (#asitshouldbe) / it’s #preshow #clinkytime courtesy of #FireOnTheMountain and the #alcohololympics #markthetime #itismarked / It’s time for #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode #PontoonBrewing #SandySpringsGeorgia #DoubleCupAquaBerryFist (#waitwhat) #twocupsonefist #berliner #needssomecaptainmorgan #7point6abv #itssour #marktheteime #thisone
(05:03): #TheLatestAndGreatest #weakburpgame ***The New #Exodus #album #oldschool #compactdiscjunkyASMR #PersonaNonGrata (***NEW EXODUS: PERSONA NON GRATA!!!***) and waxing nostalgically with #CDPLayers #FiveDiscCDChangers and the #CDJukebox / A lot of #firsts here at #33rdfloorIUBPStudios including #behindthemetal and #insidethemetal so now we’re doing the #antimethodicalmethod #noteven edition of the #albumdive by doing a #brandspank #newrelease / #BarryWhiteVoiceASMR #youmadeitweird #doubledisc #handjob / #getback and a brief #tangentional #departure with regards to #behindthescenes #behindthemetal #type #documentary #film #movies and #TheBeatles #eventoincludethesinger #evenRingo #diddlin #markthetime and #beinglucky in #rockandroll
(11:33): #backtothemetal #fistthemetal / #numbereleven #theeleventhalbum PERSONA NON GRATA: Released 11/19/2021 (first Exodus record in 7 years! ***Be sure to also go check out BLOOD IN, BLOOD OUT!!!*** All of the #lyricvideos that have been released have been incredible! Definitely a great #promotionaltool #readthoselyrics #special / #begentle #pushback / Recorded at #whatshisface studios (that would be Mr. Tom Hunting’s home studios…) / The #GalagaComplex and the concept of Exodus #pickingup all of the #SlayerFans that have been left wanting since Slayer #disbanded. #fillingthevoid #tangentionalalityismness #tourrecommendations
(16:39): The Tracks and #weakness and a #chunkyvurp / #titletrack and #killeropener #nosoftintro PERSONA NON GRATA (#Definition: an #unwelcome or #unacceptable #person) #glorious #calgontakemeaway #awesome #indeedly / Other reviews regarding the new album #itsokay #itsfine #nojoy and the new perspective for 2021. “It’s okay” is the modern-day equivalent of “it’s fucking awesome!!!” / The similar “feel” of #PersonaNonGrata and #FabulousDisaster (***check out our #FabulousAlbumDive***) / #NerderyFarmsRemembers and the old school #PepperidgeFarm #cakes
(22:22): R.E.M.F. #thatswhatitstandsfor #weirdtiming and some incredible vocal #tangentionalality to #Overkill (it’s like a fantastic #Metal #twoforone with #BlitzTangentionalalityASMR #motherfuckers #glorious) #verynice / The Exodus “sound” and where “the sound” comes from #GaryHoltSoundsLikeGaryHolt / SLIPPING INTO MADNESS #thrashboner #alldayeveryday #warondrugs #addiction #fireupthehive #fuckingoldschool #howcanyounotlikethat #itsfine (adjusted for #hyperinflation) #chickentits #rubbingandfisting #inslomo
(29:17): ELITIST #riffsfordays #oldschoolthrashmetal #groovemetal and the #neverendingelement of #oldschoolthrash #fuckingbadass / PRESCRIBING HORROR (#favorito) #evilasfuck #excellent #softintro #evilaf #evilasfuck #badass #badassriffs #crunchyballriffs #waitforit #ExodusFarmsRemembers #readthoselyrics (***check out the extremely tasty middle part!!!***) #brutal #neozetro #glorious
(34:34): #thebighitsingle THE BEATINGS WILL CONTINUE (UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES) 1…2…3…4…1234,1234 #badass (NOTE: this would have also made a #killeropener!) #waitforit #untilyoulikeit / #skateboarding and #pause and #crossover (#editingparallelluniverses) #thealbumcover (#cleanthegun and #clearthechamber #wtfdidhejustsay #prostatehealth #masturbatorybreak #fistme) #insectlizardpeople and #galaga and #noteven #spaceflies and #spaceraid and a brief moment of #backtangentionalality regarding Mr. Lee Altus and an inquisition regarding the other half of #TheHTeam / THE YEARS OF DEATH AND DYING #ZZSabbath #recordscratch #thebass (you can really #feelitinthebottom) #downthere #markthetime #thebasssoundthatandjusticeforallshouldhavehadASMR
(43:33): ***How could anyone shit on #PersonaNonGrata?*** / People need to adjust their expectations accordingly (stop being such #thankless #feckless #overlycritical #assdouches) and the downside to having literally EVERYTHING at your fingertips and the #internettoughguy #douchebagfactor of the #ageoftheinternet and a #defacto #return to #TheBigFour (learning to appreciate #sacrifice) #backinmyday #VHS #CliffEmAll #LiveAfterDeath #onmicburpASMR #thatsgonnahavesomesmell / CLICKBAIT #hornetsnestpinataASMR #edged but not quite #finished
(50:07): The #softintro #acoustic #instrumental #SabbathStyle #FabulousStyle #dinnertimeASMR COSA DEL PANTANO (i.e., #swampthing or #quagmirething, nothing to do with noses) / LUNATIC-LIAR-LORD #thosefuckingriffs #dangole (you can’t outrun a #methedupcrocigator #voicechange / THE FIRES OF DIVISION #itsfineASMR #oldschoolthrashboner
(57:09): ANTISEED (#thedepartmentofheavy) ***Shout out to Ron and #TheRibLoungeDancers*** #fullinthebottom #killercloser #marcmaron and #ridingitout / A brief review of Gary Holt’s gear & rig and the debate regarding #LesPaulGuitars with a #FloydRose and #LesPolish / #onmicburpskills and another #leftturn in #MetalNerderyHistory #thatswhatithought #uglyguitars and #guitaryouready and #ugly vs #beautiful and #beauty is in the #eyeofthebeholder / ***Googleize “Ugly Guitars”*** #FlyingG #TheUglyTruth / ***THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND PLEASE PURCHASE PERSONA NON GRATA!!! If you want to leave us some feedback regarding #PNG or #MetalNerderyPodcast leave us a voicemail at 980-666-8182!!!*** BUY OUR SHIT!!! www.metalnerdery.com/merch / #goodnightbitches #pissballsASMR #untilthenext #lotsofextras including a #revelation about #flan and #theladies