Epic metal will give way to punk rock on the upcoming Exodus album, says singer Rob Dukes.
The band are working on their 10th studio album – their fourth with Dukes on vocal duty – and according to the man behind the mic, things will take a turn for the more upbeat.
In an interview with Patch, Dukes says: “This album is very fast and has more of a punk rock feel to it, whereas I think the last few Exodus albums were metal epics, with longer songs. These songs are shorter and a little faster. It has a really different feel to it. It sounds great.”
Dukes joined the band in 2005, 25 years after they formed in San Francisco. Exodus went on to be considered one of the early leading lights of the thrash metal movement with Metallica and Megadeth. Metallica’s Kirk Hammett was an original member of Exodus.
Dukes was a fan of the early Exodus line-up featuring vocalist Paul Baloff and was a roadie with the band when he was offered the job.
He says: “I liked Paul Baloff a lot. Their fist album was a very dark, dangerous album. I try to measure up to Paul, though I don’t do drugs and I don’t drink. That whole craziness and insanity is not part of my life. “I was living in Los Angeles in 2005 and working on an Exodus tour as a as a guitar technician, preparing all the guitars and basses for the live shows.
“We seemed to all get along real well and they had a fill-in singer at the time because their permanent singer had quit. By the end of the tour they were looking for another singer and asked if I wanted to come up and sing a song with them on the last show of the tour. I did and I guess I impressed them. They gave me an audition and I got the gig.”
The new Exodus album is expected to be released later this year on Nuclear Blast Records.
Exodus lead guitarist Gary Holt will also appear on the upcoming Slayer record. Slayer announced this week they have split from longtime producer Rick Rubin for their upcoming 11th studio album.
