EXODUS

Fuck everybody if you don't wanna hear it

Mixed reactions to the latest effort of the California thrash metal veterans are quite natural. It’s pretty obvious that they could have expected it, ‘cause there are many orthodox metalheads who see re-recording of classic albums as a white day robbery and desecration of true metal cult. But EXODUS’ vocalist Rob Dukes seem not to care about it at all. He’s got very simply advice to all the nay-sayers: fuck off everybody. This self-confident man told us about it few hours before band’s appearance on this year’s METALMANIA FEST in Warsaw.

-Rob you’re already 41 YO and still thrashin’. Can you even imagine what would you do now if there was no EXODUS in your life today?
I don’t know man. I think that I’d just be some kind of painter. I did a lot of different things, so I don’t know where I’d be making my money. But probably I’d something really creative hopefully.

-You've described your parents as being "kinda hippies" who regularly played records by artists such as THE DOORS< BLACK SABBATH and JIMI HENDRIX. So it seems that you've never had any problems with them when you decided to live a life that you want and become a rock musician?
As long as I can remember I’ve always liked music. I was buying my own records for my own money since I was maybe ten years old. First albums that I got were THE CLASH „White Riot” and THE POLICE „Regatta de Blanc”. You know punk rock was my first kind of music. But I wasn’t active on the punk rock scene. I was just a fan.

-How would you describe the evolution of your musical taste? I mean how did it happen that you've entered the world of metal? Btw what was your first contact with EXODUS music?
Metal just a kind come with it. You know what I mean? It’s just been there. First I listen to my parents’ music, but then I’ve got my own. But I still like bands like RUSH, LED ZEPPELIN, JIMI HENDRIX. A lot of different stuff. And lot of different kinds of music. I really didn’t want to stuck just in one thing.
The first metal band that I really liked was early JUDAS PRIEST. I really liked it, but I wanted to be a musician, ‘cause I started playin’ guitar at that time, so it was a lot easier to play punk rock not heavy metal, so I kinda stay there.

-As you’ve already mentioned here that you play guitar too. Can you tell something more about your side project. Did you sing and play guitar at the same time and is it 100% serious band?
I play and sing at the same time. This band was just a personal. Nothing was really recorded. But right now I decided to do it on my own, so hopefully this year something will be released. This music is not just rock. And it’s not really a punk rock too. There’s a bigger spectrum of music. There’s a little bit of punk, little bit of metal, little bit of rock, lots of stuff.

-When thrash metal exploded in the early 80s. Did you pay any attention to that style?
Yeah. I was part of tape trading. I was living in the East Coast so it was a little bit different than Bay Area. ‘Cause it was all coming from there. My first introduction to thrash metal was actually a cover band doing „Hit the Lights” by METALLICA. I was like: Wow! What was that? And that kinda spread from there. Someone handle me a tape and said: Hey dude! You’ve gotta hear this. And that’s how I got it.

-Today EXODUS is again one of the strongest names on metal scene. Was it a big challenge for you to accept the invitation and replace Souza after "Tempo fo The Damned"?
It was cool. And of course it was unexpected. I wasn’t trying to be a musician. I was happy being a tour manager and guitar tech. And I liked my life in LA. I also traveled. You know my life was really cool, so I wasn’t wanting for anything really. So when it happened it was actually a huge bonus for me. I was thinking of it as of something cool and a new chapter of my life. I really didn’t think about it as a challenge. I looked at it as a task to handle: let’s learn some lyrics and learn some songs and I just took like just one little step at the time. I didn’t think about it as a big thing.

-Do you think that this decision to become the member of the band changed your relationships with other guys? Who in the band is the person that you'd call the closest one and why?
We are really close friends. I mean when we’re not on tour we still talk quite frequently. Of course when you spend a lot of time with someone and you create together, you become closer. We’re family and really good friends. I’d say that Lee is the closest person. We’ve become a really good friends. I’m not sure why. It just worked out that way. We were two new guys. So I guess it could be that. But we have a same sense of humor and we just see a lot of things the same way.

- When ‘talkin about Mr Altus. This summer Lee will play some shows with reactivated HEATHEN. Aren't you afraid that his activity in that band may disturb EXODUS' plans?
They also work on the new record. Man it’s awesome. It’s fuckin’ great. Most of this album is already recorded. They still work on some finishing touches. The stuff I’ve heard is just brilliant it’s great. I’m not afraid that it’ll disturb our activity. It is what it is. It’s part of his life.

-Your latest release "Let There Be Blood" received mixed reviews. However you've said that it's yor tribute to Paul some people almost accuse you of killing a legend. From today's perspective do you still think that it was good idea to do this record? How did you prepare to sing Paul's parts?
You know metalheads are very unique people. Maybe they are a little too sensitive sometimes I think. Would you like to redo some great movies. Is there any reason to redo it? And in some senses no. You’ll never gonna get this first reaction. Like when for the first time you’ve seen it. „Bonded by Blood” was a very unique album for some people. And for those who say „I don’t wanna hear a new recorded version” I get it, but, you know: don’t buy it. That’s all I got. For me it was cool to do. The truth was that we were goin’ to do a live record, so we’ve got a live record recorded in a studio. It was really quick, one take, kind just you’ve got what you got. If you don’t want to listen to it, you may listen to the original. It’s still there. I listened to Paul pretty much during the whole two week vocal process. I listened to him pretty much every day. I was listening to him and I was trying to get some his little fractions that he does very unique. Of course I didn’t want to copy it. But to take something from it. I just tried to be myself. I didn’t want to mimic Paul. We did a songs a little bit different now. Some songs are faster, some are slower. There are some little things. I’m proud of it. I thought that it was cool. It was fun to do. It’s not my legacy. But I love those songs. I listen to songs for the most of my life. So why I shouldn’t sing them. Fuck everybody if you don’t wanna hear it.

- Are there any particular songs that you really like to perform live with the band and the ones that you’d rather not to see in a live set.
Well. I love playing „Strike of the Beast”. It is my favorite. I also like doing „Children of the Worthless God’ it’s always fun and it’s challenging, ‘cause it’s kind different for us. There’s really nothing that I’d complain about.

-In "Children of a Worthless God" you've showed your skills in clean signing. can we expect more such surprises on future releases? Did you ever have had a singing lessons?
I don’t know. We didn’t got this recorded. I took two lessons last year from a woman, ‘cause I needed some help. You know playin’ live every night for three or two months it destroys your voice. So I took a few lessons to help with that. And since then I have no troubles.

-I've read that when you recorded "TAE EA" you've already recorded four tracks for second part. Did you already start work on the rest of songs for "The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit B". Are you gonna use them in the original versions or maybe you’ll rework some things?
They’re good, they’re done and they’re recorded. And I see no reason that we can’t go ahead. I think that they may be changed a little bit. We’ll start recordings probably this summer. We finish the tour in May, I’ll be home in June. Then we’ll play coupe of festivals in June and July and after that we will start the recording. And we’ll spend the rest of the year in the studio.