Souza out of Exodus

[unclemeat]

EXODUS: Singer ZETRO SOUZA Was Fired! - Sep. 13, 2004

San Francisco Bay Area thrashers EXODUS have confirmed the departure of singer Steve "Zetro" Souza from the group's ranks. "Zetro is out of the band for sure!" EXODUS manager Steven Warner told BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Asked about the reports that Zetro left the band of his own accord, Warner replied, "He did not quit, he was fired!" An official press release on the matter is expected shortly.

EXODUS are currently on a break from their South American tour, which is expected to resume at the end of this week.

[Shevy]

I'd like to know why. This is not very good news.

[unclemeat]

Singer ZETRO SOUZA Quits EXODUS (Again) - Sep. 13, 2004

Vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza has quit EXODUS on the eve of the band's South American headlining tour, BLABBERMOUTH.NET can exclusively reveal. Although EXODUS have attributed Zetro's absence from the trek to an illness suffered by the singer during the band's recently completed Japanese tour, Souza is said to have in fact left the group over long-standing business and personal differences. There has been no word yet on a possible replacement, but it is believed that one of the top candidates for the position is John Miller, a local Bay Area singer who had previously spent time with EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Tom Hunting in WARDANCE, the ill-fated mid-'90s act that recorded a four-song demo and played several live shows before splitting up. EXODUS are currently touring South America with the help of a fill-in vocalist, Matt Harvey of EXHUMED.




Oh the drama!

[Shevy]

unclemeat said:

EXODUS are currently touring South America with the help of a fill-in vocalist, Matt Harvey of EXHUMED.

Um...WHAT THE FUCK?

[unclemeat]

More Drama!



EXODUS Guitarist: 'Fat-Ass' ZETRO SOUZA Is 'Human Crap' - Sep. 13, 2004

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt has slammed singer Steve "Zetro" Souza over the circumstances that led to his departure from the group (as exclusively reported by BLABBERMOUTH.NET earlier today), calling the singer "human crap" and vowing to carry on with a replacement vocalist.

In a posting to the band's official forum, Holt writes, "Okay people, the word has leaked, so I'm here to give you a brief rundown. Let me give you an idea of what we've had to deal with as far as that fat motherfuckin' shit brick is concerned. He pulled out of going to Mexico City only about twenty-four hours before were ready to leave, saying, 'I'm not getting on the plane, you'll see me on Thursday to go to South America.' He lied to our manager, saying that he had talked to me already about this, which was a total lie. He then ducked every fuckin' phone call and just hid out. The promoter had already paid a non-refundable 8 thousand dollars for the room and it would have been a disaster to have canceled. None of this mattered to that miserable piece of shit. The only thing he cares about is himself and money.

"If only you could have heard some of the shit that has come out of his fat pie hole over the last couple of years. Things like, 'Why does [bassist] Jack [Gibson] get the same money as me, who the hell is he anyway?' 'We should hire a bodyguard for South America,' 'If the fans want more than 12 songs out of me they should pay more money, they are getting their money's worth already!,' 'Why is Gary in the front of this promo picture, I should be in the front, that's copyright infringement!', (true! he said that!). There is soooo much more shit you wouldn't believe it. This motherfucker sat backstage and cried at Provinssirock fest in Finland like a pussy. Waaaaaah! Now you can keep your fat fuckin' ass at home and go off your Atkins diet (like it's working, lard ass!) and blow up as much as you'd like!

"If he had been a man and finished his commitments and said that it's too hard and he can't do it anymore I'd have shaken his hand and wished him well, but not now. He is the enemy. I hate him more than I've ever hated anyone on this planet. He is human crap. Fuck him.

"Some people wonder what will happen now. Well this band will continue. As for tight unity! The show in Mexico was the most liberating moment in my career, not have to listen to him bitch and complain once! And you know what? The crowd did not care. But I am not quitting. This is MY band (the thing that he hated most), I write the songs and I've got some crushing new shit written already. So fuck that pussy.

"Zetro is dead, love live EXODUS!"

In a separate posting, Holt elaborates on the cirumstances that led to Zetro's dismissal from the group. "It's like this," he writes. "Who in their right mind would put up with this kind of bullshit? Yes, he did a killer job on the new album, but mainly because we did not allow him to fuck everything up with his stupid Bon Scott impersonations anymore. We made him sing more like [previous vocalist Paul] Baloff. I tried to make it work. More than you can imagine. But he was (is) the most miserable pile of crap to be around.

"I ended the band in '93 because I could not stand the motherfucker. I vowed I'd never be in a band with him again. This time it seemed he had changed. For a while. In 2002 when we returned from Europe he called our booking agent and had him send the remaiming deposits to he and he promptly stole the rest of our money. He was paid more than anyone for our U.S. tour. These shows would have paid him, us, and helped get us caught up to him but since his ass wasn't getting all the money he bailed on us, thinking he would take his ball and go home, ending the game. Well I've got some news motherfucker. Gary Holt does not go down that easily!

"Any fan who questions firing him has to ask themselves this one question. Would YOU put up with this from you own (supposed) friends, family, or for that matter, any one! Fuck no you wouldn't! So should I pack this band up for good and start a new band? That's kind of like letting him win, now isn't it!

"But as for Zetro, he does think he could always go solo. (I've heard him say it myself!) Well best of luck to F-BOMB! You're gonna need it fat-ass!"

[unclemeat]

But it continues...



EXODUS To Recruit Former WARDANCE Singer For South American Tour - Sep. 13, 2004

EXODUS will likely be utilizing the services of singer John Miller for their South American tour, which scheduled to kick off Friday (Sept. 17) in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Miller is a local Bay Area singer who had previously played with EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Tom Hunting in WARDANCE, the ill-fated mid-'90s act that recorded a four-song demo and played several live shows before calling it a day.

Although EXODUS performed a gig in Mexico City over the weekend with EXHUMED's Matt Harvey filling in for the now-departed Steve "Zetro" Souza, Harvey is reportedly unable to take time off work to complete the tour, resulting in Miller's late addition to the group's current touring lineup.

A dynamic live performer whose stage presence has previously been compared — perhaps unfairly — to that of Philip Anselmo, Miller should have a relatively easy time picking up the EXODUS material, having previously rehearsed several times with the group in early 2003 at the time of Zetro's last departure from the band. Miller was also responsible for penning the lyrics to the EXODUS track "Throwing Down" (off their latest album, "Tempo of the Damned") — a reworked version of a song originally written for and demoed by WARDANCE.

EXODUS' first studio album since 1992's "Force of Habit", "Tempo of the Damned" (2004) has sold 14,382 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

[unclemeat]

Oh Oh Oh


EXODUS Guitarist Apologizes For 'Personal Attack' Against Former Singer - Sep. 13, 2004

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt has apologized for his "personal" attack against the group's former singer, Steve "Zetro" Souza, over the circumstances that led to Zetro's departure from the group. Writing to the band's official message board, Holt said, "I would just like to take a moment to apologize to all on this board for, as one already said, taking the low road here. While I stand by everything I said as the gospel truth I would also like to apologize for my personal attacks on Steve Souza. We have many of the same personal close friends and it's not fair of me to have maybe dragged them into the middle of this and as I am very fond of his family I regret possibly putting them in the middle of this as well. I am still VERY angry over this whole mess but I could have handled it in a more profesional manner.

"I do not think Steve will be easy to replace but it has to be done. A band cannot continue when you have a cancer in its midst.

"I spent much time trying to make Zetro happy, on the road and off, but to no avail. And then he bails out on us about 26 hours before leaving for a sold-out show in Mexico City, with no call to me to even try to explain himself. And this is after a lot of bullshit the last couple of years.

"I could have been more graceful with my statment, but he could have left this band a lot more gracefully as well. It's a damn shame really, because I thought that we'd be able to work through all the other shit (which I had been giving a hall of fame efort to do so) but it just aint gonna' happen.

"I'm sorry to all the fans who were so stoked about 'Tempo', but I promise you all, the new album (which I'm already writing ) is going to crush. Nothing seems to get me motivated like anger these days, so you just have to trust me on this one."

In a separate posting, Holt elaborated on the reasons for his earlier outburst against his former bandmate:

"Sometimes you say things out of anger and after a while you calm down and think things through a little.

"Was Zetro killer? Of course he was (is). Could we continue with the way things were going. No way. I'll admit at times I feel like just starting over, but this band has been my life for my entire adult life. It's all I know.

"Zetro has family but so do I and this is way I'm best suited to take care of them. He has a really good job and I know he worries about his and his own. I do too. It should not have come to this though. All he had to do was a few more shows and call it a day. Hell, if you are honest about your intentions, say that this is your last trip and you have to pack it up, why not go out with a bang and have a great time? Then we all hug and say fare thee well. But to be abandoned with out so much as a phone call is kind of hard to take. It feels like totally being betrayed. Hence the angry outburst.

"I don't hate Steve. He's been one of my brothers, a comrade in arms for a long time. But it will take a long time to completely forgive him. But I do wish him happiness. He just could not find it here anymore."

[Shevy]

That is probably one of the funniest rants I have ever read.

More importantly, I hope somebody records the Exodus show(s) with Harvey in vocals. That guy is a walking metal encyclopedia, and I'm sure he's going to do an amazing job.

[unclemeat]

Shevy said:

Um...WHAT THE FUCK?

EXHUMED Frontman Says Singing For EXODUS In Mexico Was An 'Honor' - Sep. 14, 2004

EXHUMED frontman Matt Harvey has commented on his one-off stint as the lead singer for EXODUS at their headlining gig in Mexico City last weekend. Writing to EXODUS' official message board, Harvey said, "I don't usually post on boards and what-not, but I wanted to make some kind of statement about the weekend I just had.

"To say I was honored to even be considered to fill in for the show in Mexico would be a HUGE understatement. I've been a fan of EXODUS since I bought 'Pleasures of the Flesh' in 1987 when I was 11 or 12 years old. The first metal show I ever attended was the 'Headbangers Ball' tour in '89 with ANTHRAX/EXODUS and HELLOWEEN. EXODUS is one of my favorite bands off all time and even though I've been mostly involved with the death metal and grind scenes for the past 12 years in EXHUMED, my love of thrash and of EXODUS has never faltered.

"I just want to thank Gary, Rick, Tom, and Jack for giving me the opportunity to front one of the greatest bands of all time on Saturday. I will never forget it as long as I live and I never would have thought that it would happen in my wildest 'heavy metal fantasy' (as Herr doktor Schnuggles would say). I also want to extend a massive thanks to all the Exobangers in Mexico City for making me feel welcome!

"I know that a lot of people were disappointed that Zetro didn't make it (myself included) but I know that the band didn't want to let the promoters and people involved, and most of all the fans, down. I hope that I didn't let you guys down up there — I did the best I could considering that we had only 5 songs' worth of rehearsal that day at soundcheck. I guess all those years of singing along with the albums finally paid off!

"Thanks so much for being an amazing crowd and making me feel at home, because I would be lying if I said that I wasn't really nervous up there! If anyone has any pictures or video, or audio for that matter I would love to see it.

"Thanks again to the Exodudes and their management and crew for making me feel welcome and especially to everyone at the show!"

[unclemeat]

SKINLAB Singer To Front EXODUS On Rescheduled South American Tour - Sep. 17, 2004

SKINLAB singer Steev Esquivel will front EXODUS on their rescheduled South American tour, tentatively set to take place in late October.

EXODUS, who completed a Japanese trek earlier in the month, were forced to postpone their South American dates following the departure of singer Steve "Zetro" Souza.

"Top Link Productions did a phenomenal job creating a successful tour for EXODUS fulfilling all of their obligations and providing the band with a great run of dates," the band write in a statement. "Therefore EXODUS would like to extend their deepest apologies to Top Link Productions, local promoters, booking agents and all EXODUS fans planning to attend."

[unclemeat]

www.roadrun.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=27158


I wonder how big this will get with all the drama

[Shevy]

Wow. That was a surprisingly classy response. I wonder if he's aiming for a job with AC/DC down the road...