As announced by SLAYER yesterday, Gary Holt of EXODUS will be temporarily filling in for guitarist Jeff Hanneman during SLAYER’s upcoming tour dates. He will immediately join Slayer members Kerry King, Tom Araya and Dave Lombardo on their five-date Australian Soundwave Festival that begins February 26.
Gary Holt offers the following comments about his upcoming stint as touring guitarist for one of metal’s most venerated bands:
"How can I put into words how excited I am to have been asked to play with SLAYER? Hard to describe for sure. Legendary band, check. Old friends since the birth of thrash metal. Check. Get to play ‘Angel Of Death’ live, priceless! I'll do my best to live up to the standard they've set for so many years, while we all wish Jeff a speedy return to health and his rightful place in SLAYER.”
SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman is currently recuperating at home after emergency surgery on his right arm after contracting a serious infection, possibly caused by a spider bite. He is expected to make a full recovery and will return to the SLAYER line-up as soon as he has fully recovered.
Bay Area thrash guitarists Gary Holt of EXODUS and Rob Cavestany of DEATH ANGEL will be appearing at the Engl Amps booth (Hall B #5824) on Saturday, January 15, 2011 from 12 noon – 1 p.m. at the winter National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) convention. This four-day event is held annually at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California and is not open to the general public.
Gary Holt’s additional NAMM appearances and signings on January 15th include:
2:00 p.m. at the Schecter booth #4290
4:30 p.m. at the EMG booth #4850
EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL are currently back home after the highly successful “Thrash Fest Tour” in Europe with Kreator and Suicidal Angels. Watch Eternal-Terror.com’s recent Thrash Fest tour interview with members of all four bands
here.
Watch three episodes of DEATH ANGEL’s behind-the-scenes video blogs from Thrash Fest on YouTube.
Vlog #1,
Vlog #2,
Vlog #3.
Both EXODUS and DEATH ANGEL will be performing on the 70,000 Tons of Metal cruise, which sets sail from Miami, Florida on January 25th, 2011. Visit the official website for the cruise
here.
EXODUS will open for IRON MAIDEN on April 10, 2011 at Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile.
Watch the EXODUS video for the track “Downfall” off the band’s Billboard-charting album Exhibit B: The Human Condition on the EXODUS
YouTube Channel.
Watch DEATH ANGEL’s video for “Truce,” off their Billboard-charting album Relentless Retribution,
here.
California Bay Area thrashers EXODUS are very happy to announce they will open for the legendary IRON MAIDEN on April 10th, 2011 at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile.
Guitarist Gary Holt shares the exciting news:
"We had two shows left on the ‘Thrash Fest Tour,’ everybody was tired and burned out, and then I got word that EXODUS will open for the one-and-only IRON MAIDEN in Chile! Best news ever! Just unbelievable! There's no one bigger than IRON MAIDEN in South America. I've seen the DVD footage of their shows down in that part of the world, and to actually get to open for them ANYWHERE is amazing! But down there? Absolutely spectacular! We’ll be playing Santiago with my heroes - a band whose songs we were covering at backyard parties - in front of 65,000 people! Suddenly we all got a big second wind! Stoked beyond belief is an understatement!"
Four months out, 22,000 tickets to this concert have already been sold. José Luis Corral, the event’s producer, states:
"We added EXODUS to expose the audience to something more extreme and also to have another classic name fundamental in the history of hard rock [on the bill] and very important for a generation of Chilean metalheads. I think it's the first time they’ve played together."
EXODUS recently returned from the highly successful “Thrash Fest Tour” in Europe with KREATOR, DEATH ANGEL and SUICIDAL ANGELS.
Gary you have done an excellent job replacing him in this Tour,, Congratulations,,!! Let's keep thrash Metal alive!!
Hang some videos of that historic event as soon as you can ! We hope you all the best !!
That's cool, would love to see it live.
Gary will use Hanneman's amps and rack?
Have fun!
AWSOME.. HE A SICK GUITARIST! LOVE YA GARY!!
Ahh that will be so kick ass' Gary playin in slayer' Hell Yeah !