Bay Area thrash veterans Exodus have denied any rumors of impending doom. Speculation was sparked leading the band’s cancellation of their Maryland Deathfest slot and guitarist Gary Holt’s lengthened stint with Slayer – filling in for Jeff Hannemann, who contracted necrotizing fasciitis in January 2011 and has been undergoing surgeries, skin grafts and intense rehab since. The band released the following statement:
“We have recently observed a whirlwind of speculation, conspiracy theories, and just plain ole dumb-assed comments on the Internet regarding Exodus’ future and that of [guitarist] Gary Holt’s commitment to this band. The following is an attempt to shed some light on actual facts, as well as trying to clear the air.
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“The reason we canceled our appearance at this years Maryland Deathfest was, in fact, due to Gary’s commitment to his sudden and seriously ill father. Actually, just days prior to the start of the Metal Alliance tour [with Anthrax], we were making arrangements to have someone fill in for Gary due to his unknown status. As things worked out, his father was able to recover to a somewhat stable condition, yet he is still not ‘out of the woods’ and continues to be a closely monitored. This was obviously a private and personal matter that didn’t warrant public knowledge, but it seems the press release from Maryland Deathfest and then the interview given by Gary about not quitting EXODUS was just a random coincidence and we felt it necessary to inform people of the real story.
“Exodus is not disbanding! Gary will continue to perform on the current Metal Alliance tour, as well as splitting his time between Exodus and Slayer in the future. The band (with Holt) will be appearing at this year’s Hell & Heaven fest in Guadalajara, Mexico, as advertised, on May 19th. After which, Gary will return home to support and care for his family.
“Our apologies to the Maryland Deathfest staff, as well as to the Exodus fans who were eager to see us, and we hope everyone understands that family and loved ones comes first.”
