Gary Holt Discusses Exodus’ Legacy, His New Book + Slayer Shows

“It’s very meaningful to myself and the band, the 40th anniversary, and we plan on celebrating it heavily.”

Gary Holt recently joined Loudwire Nights (Oct. 28) to discuss Exodus‘ upcoming tour and ended up diving into next year’s massive anniversary for their debut album, Bonded by Blood.

“When we were making the album, we were just making the music we wanted to hear,” Holt recalled to host Chuck Armstrong.

“We didn’t think anybody would will talk about the album or, you know, that it would be at times voted the No. 1 thrash album of all time. We just wanted to rage. We wanted to get wasted and we wanted to play fast and we wanted to hang with our friends and destroy shit. We were just doing what we love to do.”

While he didn’t have any specific details as to what fans can expect for anniversary celebrations in 2025, he assured the Loudwire Nights audience that Exodus were working on some exciting things, including paying tribute to the band’s original lead singer, the late Paul Baloff.

“The 40th anniversary of the album actually falls on his birthday, so we’re planning something big.”

Exodus Prepare For Headlining Tour

As Holt reflected on the legacy of Exodus and that massive debut album, he was also quick to look ahead at what’s to come, namely, the band’s headlining tour that kicks off in Tampa on Nov. 2.

The way he put it, he’s feeling excited and nervous to go out on the road because it’s been a long time since Exodus have been the headliners.

“In our opinion, we played it smart going out on some really solid bills and supporting and playing in our near-headlining sets and just kicking the shit out of people,” he said.

“But you know, now it’s on us, it’s our tour and it’s sink or swim. So, I’m nervous. I hope it does well, but we’re excited at the same time. It’s our show, our stage and it’s gonna be rad. I’m happy … As long as people show up.”

Gary Holt Remembers Paul Di’Anno

Holt’s conversation on Loudwire Nights took place a week after the metal world was rocked with the tragic news of the death of Paul Di’Anno. Holt took some time to honor one of the most influential people in the life of Exodus.

“When I heard the first Iron Maiden [album], it was almost like I had never heard music before, I had never heard heavy metal before,” Holt said.

“It was different. There was something magical about it. One of our close friends bought the album in the import section in the record store based on the cover alone…none of us had heard it.”

Holt shared memories of covering those early Maiden tunes during the Kirk Hammett-era of Exodus and said people were floored when they heard them live.

“Everybody thought they were originals,” he remembered, laughing. He said they played “Prowler,” “Running Free” and “Iron Maiden,” and even did their best with “Phantom of the Opera” at times.

READ MORE: Two Classic Thrash Bands Gary Holt Thinks Deserve More Credit

“We played ‘Wrathdchild’ at all these backyard parties. It was special music.”

With no disrespect to Bruce Dickinson and the masterpieces that were to come, Holt admitted those first two Iron Maiden albums are some of his favorites.

“The first one had this punk energy to it and the second, a little more polish, and the two combined are two of my favorite metal albums of all time and they’re instrumental in what led to the creation of this thing called Exodus.”

What Else Did Exodus’ Gary Holt Discuss on Loudwire Nights?

• What it was like being on the stage with Slayer for their reunion shows this year: “Being back on stage was surreal. It was awesome. We rehearsed really hard for it … We were happy and everything was good. And hopefully we’ll do some more.”
• What else is on the horizon for Exodus in 2025: “New album, you know? We’re planning to start recording in February.”
• What fans can expect from his memoir that is due out next year: “You can hear all the horror stories of my own self-destruction and stuff, but you know, the redemption as well. My stories are different.”

Listen to the Full Interview in the Podcast Player Below

Gary Holt joined Loudwire Nights on Monday, Oct. 28; the show replays online here, and you can tune in live every weeknight at 7PM ET or on the Loudwire app; you can also see if the show is available on your local radio station and listen to interviews on-demand.