Persona Non Grata

Persona Non Grata is a work on which Exodus, as its studio work after about seven years, powerfully hurls merciless thrash metal at length. Made in an ironclad lineup with the flagship singer Steve “Zetro” Souza. Gary Holt’s riffs, while complex, have an extremely thick core, and by binding with Tom Hunting’s busy, powerful drums, they powerfully create a different kind of violent drive in each song. Led by the title track “Persona Non Grata,” the songs, rather than relying on speed alone, deftly weave in heavy, stepping mid-tempo’s sure pressure and uneasy developments that unsettle the listener, and the album keeps its taut tension to the end throughout. Even as veterans, its ferocious aggression has not dimmed in the least. Holt’s sharp riff work is in sharp form throughout. A record that strongly evokes Bay Area thrash’s tenacity, without losing the rough wildness in the least but rather further raising the playing precision. Even after a long career, it powerfully proves how ferocious and unshakable a band Exodus is. A powerful, engaging thrash-metal work showing the mature aggression of the current lineup with Zetro — a record showing the band’s vigor.