THE BEAST

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans   EXODUS   have just released their new album,   "Persona Non Grata" , via   Nuclear Blast Records . The official lyric video for the disc's fourth single,   "Prescribing Horror" , can be viewed below. The song's lyrics tell the story of   Thalidomide , the drug developed in west Germany as a sedative in the 1960s and used to ease morning sickness in pregnant woman and which has been linked to thousands of birth defects.

Guitarist   Gary Holt   states: "As we have finally come to the day of   'Persona Non Grata' 's release, something we've been eagerly awaiting for what seems like an eternity, we are pleased to share one last lyric video with you, my personal favorite song on the album,   'Prescribing Horror' . A little tale of motherhood and a drug, and what happens when greed comes before life and safety. The story of   Thalidomide ."

"Persona Non Grata"   is the follow-up to 2014's   "Blood In Blood Out" , which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years,   Rob Dukes , and the return of   Steve "Zetro" Souza , who previously fronted   EXODUS   from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

"Persona Non Grata"   was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by   Steve Lagudi   and   EXODUS . It was produced by   EXODUS   and was mixed by   Andy Sneap . For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist   Pär Olofsson   to create the album artwork.

In July,   EXODUS   drummer   Tom Hunting   underwent a successful total gastrectomy in his battle with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the stomach. He rejoined his bandmates on stage on October 7 at the   Aftershock   festival in Sacramento, California.

EXODUS   tapped   John Tempesta   to play drums for the band at   Psycho Las Vegas   in Las Vegas, Nevada in August and at   Full Terror Assault   in Cave In Rock, Illinois in September while   Hunting   was recovering from surgery.   Tempesta   was a member of   EXODUS   from 1989 until 1993 and played on the band's albums   "Impact Is Imminent"   (1990) and   "Force Of Habit"   (1992).

A   GoFundMe campaign   to help   Hunting   with medical expenses had previously raised more than $114,000 — including $5,000 from   Tom 's former   EXODUS   bandmate, current   METALLICA   guitarist   Kirk Hammett , and $1,500 from   FOZZY   singer and wrestling superstar   Chris Jericho .

"Persona Non Grata"   track listing:

01.   Persona Non Grata
02.   R.E.M.F.
03.   Slipping Into Madness
04.   Elitist
05.   Prescribing Horror
06.   The Beatings Will Continue (Until Morale Improves)
07.   The Years Of Death And Dying
08.   Clickbait
09.   Cosa Del Pantano
10.   Lunatic-Liar-Lord
11.   The Fires Of Division
12.   Antiseed

Via Blabbermouth