Steve "Zetro" Souza | |
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Background information | |
Born | Dublin, California, U.S. | March 24, 1964
Genres | Thrash metal |
Occupation(s) | Singer |
Years active | 1982–present |
Member of | |
Formerly of |
Steve "Zetro" Souza (born March 24, 1964) is an American musician, best known for his work as lead vocalist with thrash metal band Exodus from 1986 to 1994, and again from 2002 to 2004. He rejoined Exodus for a third time in 2014. Souza is one of two singers, along with Chuck Billy, for the band Dublin Death Patrol. [1] He also sings for the thrash metal band Tenet and was the lead singer for the thrash metal band Legacy (later known as Testament). [2] In 2011, Souza announced his new project, Hatriot. He stepped down as the frontman of the band in 2015, leaving the role of lead vocals to his son, Cody.
Before singing for Exodus, he was the lead singer for the band Legacy (which became Testament after his departure), recording and writing most of The Legacy demo. At the time of his departure from Legacy, he introduced Chuck Billy to Legacy members and joined Exodus.
Souza is best known for his stints in Exodus, for whom he sang between 1986 and 1994 (when they broke up) after being brought in to replace Paul Baloff. Exodus was disbanded about two years after the release of Force of Habit . He later rejoined the reformed Exodus from 2002 to 2004. He again parted ways with the band during their South American tour later in 2004; according to Holt, Zetro bailed from the tour just as the tour was about to start. [3] This caused the split to be fairly hostile; [3] in retrospect, Zetro has admitted the blame for the circumstances, saying that it was his discontent at the time that caused the problems. [4] [5]
Souza hosted the Thrash Against Cancer benefit in 2005 at The Pound in San Francisco, and appears onstage with Testament every time they play the Bay Area. [6]
In 2006, he and Chuck Billy formed Dublin Death Patrol, an American thrash metal band. Alongside Willy Lange (Lȧȧz Rockit). In 2007, they went on a world tour and did Fields of Rock in the Netherlands alongside Heaven & Hell, Korn, Iron Maiden, Ozzy Osbourne, Machine Head, Black Label Society, Hatebreed, Megadeth, Papa Roach, Slayer, Motörhead, Mastodon, Velvet Revolver, Dream Theater, Suicidal Tendencies, Amon Amarth, DragonForce, Ill Niño, and DevilDriver.
In August 2008, Souza became the lead singer for the metal band TENET along with members Byron Stroud (Strapping Young Lad, Fear Factory, Zimmer's Hole), Jed Simon (Strapping Young Lad, Zimmer's Hole), Glen Alvelais (Testament, Forbidden) and Gene Hoglan (Death, Unearth, Dethklok, Strapping Young Lad, Dark Angel, Testament, Zimmer's Hole, Old Man's Child). The album was eventually released in July 2009.
Souza, along with fellow members Kosta Varvatakis, Justin Sakagawa, and his two sons Nicholas Souza and Cody Souza, started a thrash metal project called Hatriot. Hatriot released their debut album, Heroes of Origin, on January 25, 2013. The group's second album, Dawn of the New Centurion, was released on February 21, 2014 via Massacre Records. Steve eventually left Hatriot due to Exodus touring duties in 2015 and was succeeded by his son Cody. [7]
On June 8, 2014, it was announced that Souza had rejoined Exodus. [8] He appeared on Exodus' tenth studio album Blood In, Blood Out , which is his first album with the band since 2004's Tempo of the Damned . [9]
Souza's voice is reminiscent of AC/DC's former vocalist Bon Scott, and can be heard on the AC/DC covers that Exodus recorded, including "Overdose" on 1989's Fabulous Disaster , and "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" on 2004's Tempo of the Damned .
Souza is second generation Portuguese-American. His grandparents were originally from the Azores Islands in Portugal before settling in California in the early 20th century. [10]
His nickname "Zetro" comes from a cartoon whale he saw in high school. [11]
In a July 2018 interview, Souza called himself a supporter of President Donald Trump, as he cites the low unemployment rate and the meetings with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un being beneficial to the country. Regarding Kim, Zetro mentioned: "I think that's great – that's what you need to do. People need to touch together, not do it through channels". [12]
Testament is an American thrash metal band from Berkeley, California. Formed in 1983 under the name Legacy, the band's current lineup comprises rhythm guitarist Eric Peterson, lead vocalist Chuck Billy, lead guitarist Alex Skolnick, bassist Steve Di Giorgio and drummer Chris Dovas. Testament has experienced many lineup changes over the years, with Peterson being the only remaining original member, though they have since reunited with Skolnick, who had been out of the band from 1992 to 2005. Billy has been a member of Testament since 1986, when he replaced original singer Steve "Zetro" Souza, who had left to replace Paul Baloff in Exodus. He and Peterson are the only members to appear on all of Testament's studio albums, with the latter being the only constant member overall.
Tenet is a heavy metal band formed as a side project by Jed Simon of Strapping Young Lad and Zimmers Hole.
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1979 in Richmond, California. Their current lineup consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, drummer Tom Hunting, and lead vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza. There are no original members left in Exodus other than Hunting, who has departed from the band twice, in 1989 and 2004, but rejoined in 2007. Exodus is also notable for its inclusion of guitarist Kirk Hammett in its initial lineup; he left the band in 1983 to join Metallica as Dave Mustaine's replacement. Holt has been most consistent member throughout various lineup changes and break-ups, and is the only member to appear on all of Exodus' recordings. Much of the band's career has also been affected by bitter feuds between both band members and record companies, two extended hiatuses, deaths of former band members and internal problems often relating to drugs.
Eugene Victor Hoglan II is an American drummer, acclaimed for his creativity in drum arrangements, including use of abstract devices for percussion effects and his trademark lengthy double-kick drum rhythms. Though his playing style is very technically demanding, he retains high accuracy at extreme tempos, earning him the nicknames "The Atomic Clock" and "Human Drum Machine".
Pavel Nicholas "Paul" Baloff was an American singer, best known as the original lead vocalist of the thrash metal band Exodus. He was fired from Exodus shortly after the release of the band's 1985 debut album Bonded by Blood, and sang with various other bands before rejoining Exodus in 1997. Baloff died of a stroke in 2002.
Charles Billy is an American singer who is best known as the lead vocalist for thrash metal band Testament.
The Legacy is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Testament. It was released on April 21, 1987.
Tempo of the Damned is the sixth studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus. Released on February 2, 2004 via Nuclear Blast, Tempo of the Damned was Exodus' first studio release since 1992's Force of Habit. It was the last appearance of longtime vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza until his return for 2014's Blood In, Blood Out as well as the last appearance of founding drummer Tom Hunting until 2007's The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A. The album was also the last studio appearance of guitarist Rick Hunolt until the band's 2021 album Persona Non Grata, where he made a guest appearance.
Shovel Headed Kill Machine is the seventh studio album by the American thrash metal band Exodus, released on October 4, 2005 through Nuclear Blast. It's the first album to feature new vocalist Rob Dukes, after the departure of Steve "Zetro" Souza during the band's South American tour in support of the band's previous album Tempo of the Damned. It is also the band's first studio album not to feature Rick Hunolt on guitars, with Lee Altus as his replacement, and the only Exodus album to feature Paul Bostaph on drums after Tom Hunting's second departure as a result of the reoccurrence of the illness that prompted him to depart in 1989. Shovel Headed Kill Machine sold over 3,000 copies in its first week of release in the U.S.
Another Lesson in Violence is a live album by the American thrash metal band Exodus.
Robert Dukes is an American vocalist, best known as the former lead singer for the thrash metal band Exodus and current vocalist for his crossover thrash project Generation Kill.
Jedson Louis Simon is a Canadian guitarist. He was a member of supergroup Scar the Martyr and has been a member of numerous metal bands, including Front Line Assembly, Strapping Young Lad, Zimmers Hole, Tenet, and Vimic.
Thomas Hunting is an American musician. He is the drummer and only remaining original member of the thrash metal band Exodus.
Thrash of the Titans was a benefit concert held on August 11, 2001, at the Maritime Hall in San Francisco, California. The concert was a co-benefit for Testament vocalist Chuck Billy, who was diagnosed with germ cell seminoma ; and Chuck Schuldiner, leader of the death metal band Death, who was also battling cancer. The Master of Ceremonies for the evening was S.O.D. vocalist Billy Milano. The concert was organized by Walter Morgan. The show was announced in May 2001, and all 2300 tickets quickly sold out.
Hatriot is an American thrash metal band formed in 2011 by former singer Steve "Zetro" Souza (Exodus) and guitarist Kosta Varvatakis. The band's current lineup includes Kosta V and Miguel Esparza on guitars, Souza's sons, Cody Souza on bass and vocals and Nick Souza on drums. They have been under contract with Massacre Records since 2012. Local San Francisco favorites they have made waves on the west coast with several tours. In summer of 2013 they played the Ernie Ball stage at Vans Warped tour. Later that year they performed at Eidenhoven Metal Meeting in Holland alongside Accept, Death Angel, Sabaton, Therion and many more. In 2015, Steve Souza announced he had stepped down as the front man of the band, due to his commitments to Exodus. His son Cody has since taken over lead vocals.
Blood In, Blood Out is the tenth studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus. It was released on October 14, 2014 through Nuclear Blast, and is the band's first album with vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza since 2004's Tempo of the Damned. The album also saw a reunion with original guitarist Kirk Hammett, who plays the guitar solo on "Salt the Wound". Blood In, Blood Out received generally favorable critical reviews, and it entered the Billboard 200 at number 38—the band's highest U.S. chart position to date. Exodus promoted the album with its first concert tour with Souza since he left the band in 2004, due to a feud with guitarist Gary Holt. This is also the only studio album the band released whilst Holt did double duties with Exodus and Slayer, the latter of where Holt had filled in for the late Jeff Hanneman until their disbandment in 2019.
"The Toxic Waltz" is a song by American thrash metal band Exodus, released from the band's third album Fabulous Disaster (1989). Although the song was never released as a single, it is one of Exodus' best-known songs and has held a regular position on their concert setlist since 1989.
Persona Non Grata is the eleventh studio album by American thrash metal band Exodus, released on November 19, 2021. It is their first studio album since Blood In, Blood Out in 2014, and their second to feature vocalist Steve "Zetro" Souza since he returned to the band that same year. This album also features guest appearances from former Exodus guitarist Rick Hunolt and guitarist Lee Altus' bandmate in Heathen, Kragen Lum, who both provide guitar solos on one of the album's tracks, "Lunatic-Liar-Lord".