Yesterday, an interview with Exodus guitarist Gary Holt surfaced where he said he would absolutely not leave Exodus, and then shortly after Exodus announced they would be dropping off Maryland Deathfest for a personal matter.
It was easy to make the connection that the reason the band dropped off was because Gary might have had some commitment to Slayer, but that is not the case.
The band released a new statement today explaining the situation:
“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 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.
“The reason we cancelled our appearance at this years Maryland Death Fest 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, 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 MDF 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 & 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 MDF 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.”
Our apologies to Exodus and Gary for the misunderstanding, but it's easy to make the leap, as the band pointed out themselves. Having a loved one be sick is not easy and our thoughts are with Gary and his family, with hope that his father makes a full recovery.
