San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans EXODUS have just released their new album, “Persona Non Grata”, via Nuclear Blast Records. The official lyric video for the disc’s fourth single, “Prescribing Horror”, can be viewed below. The song’s lyrics tell the story of Thalidomide, the drug developed in west Germany as a sedative in the 1960s and used to ease morning sickness in pregnant woman and which has been linked to thousands of birth defects.
Guitarist Gary Holt states: “As we have finally come to the day of ‘Persona Non Grata’‘s release, something we’ve been eagerly awaiting for what seems like an eternity, we are pleased to share one last lyric video with you, my personal favorite song on the album, ‘Prescribing Horror’. A little tale of motherhood and a drug, and what happens when greed comes before life and safety. The story of Thalidomide.”
“Persona Non Grata” is the follow-up to 2014’s “Blood In Blood Out”, which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers’ first release since the departure of the group’s lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve “Zetro” Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.
“Persona Non Grata” was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band’s history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.
In July, EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting underwent a successful total gastrectomy in his battle with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach. He rejoined his bandmates on stage on October 7 at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento, California.
EXODUS tapped John Tempesta to play drums for the band at Psycho Las Vegas in Las Vegas, Nevada in August and at Full Terror Assault in Cave In Rock, Illinois in September while Hunting was recovering from surgery. Tempesta was a member of EXODUS from 1989 until 1993 and played on the band’s albums “Impact Is Imminent” (1990) and “Force Of Habit” (1992).
A GoFundMe campaign to help Hunting with medical expenses had previously raised more than $114,000 — including $5,000 from Tom‘s former EXODUS bandmate, current METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett, and $1,500 from FOZZY singer and wrestling superstar Chris Jericho.
“Persona Non Grata” track listing:
01. Persona Non Grata
02. R.E.M.F.
03. Slipping Into Madness
04. Elitist
05. Prescribing Horror
06. The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
07. The Years Of Death And Dying
08. Clickbait
09. Cosa Del Pantano
10. Lunatic-Liar-Lord
11. The Fires Of Division
12. Antiseed
