Peter Ruttan of MetalTitans.com recently conducted an interview with guitarist Gary Holt of San Francisco thrash metal veterans EXODUS during the “Metal Alliance Tour” with ANTHRAX, HIGH ON FIRE, MUNICIPAL WASTE and HOLY GRAIL. You can now watch the chat below.
Holt has spent the last two years filling in for SLAYER founding guitarist Jeff Hanneman who in January 2011 contracted necrotizing fasciitis, likely caused by a spider bite, and has been undergoing surgeries, skin grafts and intense rehab since.
Asked if he would consider becoming a permanent member of SLAYER if Hanneman was unable to return to the band, Holt said: “Not if it meant the end of what I’ve been doing my whole life. If I could manage both [EXODUS and SLAYER], you know… But I’ve been filling in for just over two years now and I’m booked all year with them. But I’m just keeping the work going with EXODUS and I’ve been doing a lot of riff writing on tour. And on the summer [run] with SLAYER, I’m taking a little portable, digital recording rig with me so I can continue working on [new EXODUS] stuff in hotel rooms and shit.”
Speaking to MetalObsession.net during the recent Soundwave festival tour in Australia, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King stated about Holt‘s position in the band: “I think Gary is in for the long haul. I haven’t really discussed it with him. But he keeps his schedule free when he knows we’re on tour. And I’m pretty sure, if Jeff all of a sudden came back in June, we would probably pay Gary for freeing up his time. I don’t wanna treat somebody that’s bailed us out for two years badly. But if Gary played with us forever? I’m OK with that. But if Jeff got better and said, ‘Hey, man, I’m ready to play,’ and he came to rehearsal and showed us he was good enough, that’s his show.”
Source: www.blabbermouth.net