GARY HOLT: ‘EXODUS Never Used A KIRK HAMMETT Riff, Ever,’ On An Album Until ‘Tempo Of The Damned’
Home
GARY HOLT: ‘EXODUS Never Used A KIRK HAMMETT Riff, Ever,’ On An Album Until ‘Tempo Of The Damned’
During an appearance on "Put Up Your Dukes", the new podcast hosted by ex-EXODUS singer Rob Dukes, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt was asked if original EXODUS guitarist Kirk Hammett, who has been a member of METALLICA for the past 39 years, was involved in the songwriting for any of the material that ended up on EXODUS's classic debut album, 1985's "Bonded By Blood". "There were riffs that I had written while Kirk was still in the band, and he tried to adapt them, tried to change 'em a little bit — the old, 'I changed it a little bit. I'm a co-writer on this riff,'" Holt recalled (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And that was, like, two riffs, I think. And the rest of 'em were written after he left. We never used a Kirk Hammett riff, ever, until [2004's] 'Tempo Of The Damned' [album] when we recorded [the early EXODUS song] 'Impaler'."
Explaining that "the first two [EXODUS] songs finished post-Kirk Hammett were 'Strike Of The Beast' and 'No Love'," Holt continued: "The biggest talent I have, if you wanna call it a talent, is my fucking memory. I can remember fucking everything. I remember showing him… I can picture it as a film, showing Kirk the riff to 'Strike Of The Beast', and I can picture it as if I'm watching it on a film — in the jam room, me in my spot where I played him [the riff] and him wanting to change the higher note to a lower note; I remember it all as if I'm watching a movie of it. I remember all of it — every last minute of it. I remember details from fucking most meaningless shit."
The original lineup of EXODUS consisted of guitarists Hammett and Tim Agnello, drummer Tom Hunting and vocalist Keith Stewart. Holt joined the band in 1981, while Kirk left two years before "Bonded By Blood" saw the light of day.
Although EXODUS rarely gets mentioned alongside the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — "Bonded By Blood" inspired the likes of TESTAMENT, DEATH ANGEL, VIO-LENCE and many others to launch their careers and is considered one of the most influential thrash metal albums of all time.
Back in 2018, Kirk spoke about the fact that riffs from songs by EXODUS, "Die By His Hand" and "Impaler", found their way into "Creeping Death" and "Trapped Under Ice", from METALLICA's "Ride The Lightning" album. "What I think happened was when Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] and James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] were thinking about getting rid of Dave [Mustaine], our sound guy, Mark Whitaker — who was EXODUS' manager — gave them EXODUS' demos," Kirk said. "I think 'Die By His Hand' might have caught their ears. So when they were writing 'Creeping Death', they went, 'Great. 'Die By His Hand'. Put it right there.' It was definitely not me going, 'I have a riff here in this EXODUS song, and it needs to be here in this METALLICA song.' By the way, I wrote that 'Die By His Hand' riff when I was, like, 16 years old."
Related Articles
-
Maluma Steps Behind the Camera for Medellin-Set ‘Mojando Asientos’ Video
news
The new single features a collaboration with Feid
-
Bradley Cooper Is Gentle While the Makeup Team Goes Hard in Trailer for Maestro: Watch
news
A biopic about Leonard Bernstein (Cooper and his wife Felicia Montealegre Cohn Bernstein (Carey Mulligan). Bradley Cooper Is Gentle While...
-
While You Watch: How to Work Out at Home
news
A guide to keep you fit, while you watch the shows you can't quit. While You Watch: How to Work...
-
Slipknot Part Ways With Jay Weinberg
news
Slipknot took to social media on Sunday (November 5th) to break the sad news to fans that they have...
-
Kacey Musgraves to Perform “Star-Crossed” at 2021 MTV VMAs
news
She’ll give the song its live debut on September 12
-
Fitz and the Tantrums Return With New Summer Jam ‘Sway’
news
Michael "Fitz" Fitzgerald and company celebrate "summer lovers" on first new music in three years
-
Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti Reissuing Three More Albums
news
The Doldrums, Worn Copy, and House Arrest are the latest in the Ariel Archives reissue campaign
-
BLACKPINK at Coachella 2023: top five moments from the K-pop superstars’ headline set
news
More history is made at the Californian festival as the girl group become the first Korean act to top...
0 Comments
Recent Posts
- LITA FORD Says Her Upcoming Album Is ‘A Concept Record’: ‘There’s A Big Story Behind It’
- LITA FORD Says Her Upcoming Album Is ‘A Concept Record’: ‘There’s A Big Story Behind It’
- LITA FORD Says Her Upcoming Album Is ‘A Concept Record’: ‘There’s A Big Story Behind It’
- BRING ME THE HORIZON Dons Corpsepaint For TUSKA Festival Performance
- BRING ME THE HORIZON Dons Corpsepaint For TUSKA Festival Performance