Exodus , the legendary and pioneering thrash metal band, performed their highly anticipated show in São Paulo on Thursday night, the 9th. The performance was part of the 40 Years of Blood and took place at the Carioca Club. It was the tour's only date in Brazil.
At 7:50 PM, Throw Me To The Wolves performed their opening set. The São Paulo-based melodic death metal band had the difficult task of warming up the crowd for what was to come. The setlist included tracks from Days of Retribution , the band's debut album, released in May of this year. In terms of sound, Throw Me To The Wolves draws heavily on influences from big names in their genre, such as Arch Enemy , Dark Tranquility , In Flames , and Soilwork . The set was short, but heavy.
Mosh pits broke out before the show even started.
After a quick equipment change on stage, everything was ready for a "lesson in violence." As the show approached, the venue was already completely packed, something that happened closer to the time Exodus was scheduled to take the stage, at 9 PM. The fact that the performance took place on a Thursday is one of the reasons.
Right on time, the lights went out and audio of the band members talking amongst themselves began to echo through the sound system. The dialogue reminisced about moments in their career, where they decided if it was time to go on stage. That alone was enough reason for the first mosh pits to erupt on the dance floor.
Tom Hunting , drummer and only remaining member of the original lineup, was the first to take the stage. The musician continues to demonstrate sharp technique, especially when performing fills and blast beats . He remains strong after overcoming stomach cancer in 2021. At the time, Hunting underwent a gastrectomy to remove the affected part of his stomach.
Next, the rest of the band came on and the crowd went wild with “Bonded By Blood” opening the setlist. There was no better way to start the show. Bonded By Blood , one of the most important albums in metal history, performed in its entirety that night.
Gary Holt delivered masterful solos. The guitarist impressed with his precision, technique, and skill. He was also a natural showman, driving the audience wild every time he raised his guitar during solos, especially when he put it behind his back.
In one of his speeches, Holt also paid tribute to Paul Baloff , the album's original vocalist, who passed away in 2002. The guitarist recalled that the band's debut in Brazil in 1998 featured Baloff on vocals.
Exodus invited the official tribute bassist to perform during their show in São Paulo.
On the eve of the tour, which began in Mexico City on October 7th, the group announced that bassist Jack Gibson had returned to the United States to deal with "family emergencies." Therefore, they opted for a very interesting dynamic for the shows: alternating between the band's roadie, Steve Brogden , and local musicians during the setlist.
Holt also mentioned that the Exodus bassist, even though he wasn't at the São Paulo show, has always shown his affection for the city. The guitarist also mentioned that his colleague is "a big fan of barbecue and caipirinhas".
For São Paulo, the chosen musician was Gerson Polo . Polo is the bassist for Funeral Blood , the band's official tribute band in Brazil. The musician did an excellent job. Fábio Seterval , the tribute band's vocalist, was also invited and shared vocals with Rob Dukes on "Piranha".
Rob Dukes is one of the best frontmen in the genre.
return as lead vocalist was a spot-on choice. The musician has an extremely energetic stage presence. He interacts constantly and manages to control the crowd like few others. Every time he asked for mosh pits, he got them. His return gave a new boost to all the members, and revived one of the longest-lasting lineups Exodus has ever had.
The setlist continued with more tracks from the album before the performance was paused, allowing songs from other eras of the band to also be featured, such as the hit “Blacklist”, “Iconoclasm”, “Fabulous Disaster”, “Impaler” and “The Toxic Waltz” – which included excerpts from “Raining Blood” by Slayer and “Motorbreath” by Metallica . The sound quality was adjusted throughout the performance.
Throughout the entire show, the audience chanted the band's name at the top of their lungs. The group even improvised the traditional "olé, olé, olé" chant before closing with "Strike of the Beast," an absolute classic from the band, which featured the biggest mosh pit of the night. Before leaving the stage, the members threw guitar picks, setlists, and drumsticks to the fans.
With four decades of existence, Exodus continues to showcase its power and honor its legacy in metal with each performance. Those present at the show witnessed a historic night and celebrated a pioneering and essential album. Many say that thrash metal doesn't consist of a "Big Four"—Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax —but that it should be a "Big Five" with Exodus as a member, which is indeed true. The group continues its tour through Latin America and should soon release its new album .
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