A very unfortunate situation has come to the attention of Bay Area thrash metal band EXODUS.
It appears 31-year-old James "Jamie" Evans, an EXODUS fan living in Greenville, Kentucky, has been arrested - and is currently being jailed - for alleged terroristic threats for posting the lyrics to the EXODUS song "Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)" from the band's 2010 Billboard-charting album Exhibit B: The Human Condition. Click here for information on the arrest: https://www.14news.com/story/26431395/lyrics-posted-on-facebook-lead-to-arrest-of-muhlenberg-co-man
No past or present member of EXODUS has ever promoted or condoned terrorists, threats, or bullying. Band members are baffled by what appears to be a violation of the right to Freedom of Speech, which is protected under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
EXODUS guitarist & songwriter Gary Holt has issued the following statement:
"The idea that an individual in this great country of ours could be arrested for simply posting lyrics to a song is something I never believed could happen in a free society. James Evans was simply posting lyrics to a band he likes on Facebook, and he was locked up for it. The song 'Class Dismissed (A Hate Primer)' was written as a view through the eyes of a madman and in no way endorses that kind of fucked-up behavior. It was 2007's Virginia Tech massacre perpetrated by Seung-Hui Cho that was the subject and inspiration to write the song, one in which we put the brakes on playing it live after the Sandy Hook shooting, as we did not want to seem insensitive."
Gary continues:
"As some of us in EXODUS are parents, of course these things hit close to home, it's every parent's worst fear. These moments are the stuff of nightmares, and life - as well as music - isn't always pretty. But when we start to overreact to things like lyrics by any band - including EXODUS - and start arresting people, we are caving in to paranoia and are well on our way to becoming an Orwellian society."
Blood In, Blood Out, EXODUS' tenth studio album featuring guest appearances by Kirk Hammett (METALLICA), Chuck Billy (TESTAMENT), and Dan the Automator (GORILLAZ, MIKE PATTON), will be released in North America on October 14th via Nuclear Blast Records.
The band's upcoming U.S. tour with SLAYER and SUICIDAL TENDENCIES launches November 11th in Oakland, California.
ABOUT EXODUS
With a career spanning 34 years, EXODUS have not only helped shape and define the thrash metal genre for over three decades, but continually seek to raise its standards. One of the forefathers of the Bay Area scene that became known and envied throughout the world, the band's 1985 debut album, Bonded By Blood, has since become a legacy album featuring mandatory live staples such as "Strike Of The Beast," "A Lesson In Violence," and the album's title track. Formed in 1980, the band's original members included Tom Hunting on drums, Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Tim Agnello on guitars, and Carlton Melson on bass. With a line-up that has evolved throughout the years, the current incarnation of EXODUS charges into the future with returning frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza on vocals, Gary Holt and Lee Altus on guitars, Tom Hunting on drums, and Jack Gibson on bass. In 2014, EXODUS closed the first half of the year with stellar performances at Kirk Hammett's Fear FestEvil and Rock On The Range, as well as a groundbreaking tour with fellow thrash legends Slayer and Suicidal Tendencies. To date, EXODUS has released nine studio albums, two live albums, and one compilation. Their most recent release, Exhibit B: The Human Condition, debuted in the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart in 2010.
