INTERVIEW: Exhorder’s Kyle Thomas on the Tour of Unsound Minds Act II and New Orleans Thrash’s Legacy

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Chris Elliott (Cell Arts Media / @Black-Angeles) caught up with Kyle Thomas, frontman and sole remaining founding member of New Orleans thrash and groove metal pioneers Exhorder, to discuss the band’s upcoming Tour of Unsound Minds: Act II, kicking off September 25, 2026. Kyle breaks down what it means to take Exhorder back on the road alongside Intoxicated, No Mas, Phantom, and Parabellum across a run of dates stretching through October 18, and what drives his commitment to keeping one of heavy metal’s most influential bands alive and moving forward.

Formed in New Orleans in the mid-Eighties, Exhorder is widely recognized as a pioneer of the thrash and groove metal sound that would go on to shape the trajectory of heavy music in the Nineties and beyond. Kyle Thomas remains the band’s founding voice and creative anchor across every chapter of their history.

Tour of Unsound Minds: Act II Dates:
September 25 — Dunbar, WV, Live at the Shop
September 26 — Lafayette, IN, North End Pub
September 27 — Toledo, OH, Frankie’s
September 28 — Milwaukee, WI, X-Ray Arcade
September 29 — Chicago, IL, Live Wire
September 30 — St. Louis, MO, Red Flag
October 1 — Tulsa, OK, The Shrine
October 2 — Haltom City, TX, Haltom Theater
October 3 — McAllen, TX, Cine El Rey
October 4 — Austin, TX, BSC
October 5 — Albuquerque, NM, Launchpad
October 7 — Mesa, AZ, Nile Underground
October 9 — Los Angeles, CA, First Street Billiards
October 10 — Orangevale, CA, Boardwalk
October 13 — Grand Junction, CO, Mesa Theater
October 14 — Colorado Springs, CO, Black Sheep
October 15 — Omaha, NE, Reverb Lounge
October 16 — Iowa City, IA, Gabe’s
October 18 — Evansville, IN, Ray Leos

Find tickets and more info here:
https://www.exhorder.com/

Special thanks to Earsplit PR for setting up this interview.

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The Usual Suspects:
Interview by Ghost Cult Chris Elliott
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Editing by Omar Cordy
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Theme music by Salted Wounds
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