EXODUS have released "The Blackened Shore," the lead single from their upcoming thirteenth studio album "Persona Non Grata II," via Nuclear Blast Records. The track, which runs at 5 minutes and 43 seconds, is immediately identifiable as classic Bay Area thrash — blistering riff sequences courtesy of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, a bulldozing rhythmic attack from drummer Tom Hunting, and the ferocious vocal delivery of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who sounds as energized and vicious as ever at 63 years old.
"Persona Non Grata II" is the direct sequel to the band's 2021 album "Persona Non Grata," which was widely praised as one of their strongest works in decades and reinvigorated interest in the band among both longtime thrash fans and younger extreme metal listeners. The sequel concept was apparently conceived during the 2023 touring cycle, when guitarist Gary Holt began developing riff ideas that felt thematically and sonically connected to the 2021 record.
"The Blackened Shore" deals thematically with environmental devastation and the political failures that have accelerated ecological collapse — subject matter that has become increasingly central to EXODUS's lyrical concerns in their later-career work. The production, once again handled by Steve Lagudi at the Shed Recording Studio, delivers the same crystalline yet crushing sonic palette that distinguished "Persona Non Grata." A full album release is expected in October 2026, with a North American headline tour to follow in November. Gary Holt has confirmed that the album features twelve tracks and runs approximately 54 minutes.