Exodus
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 Rob Dukes. Notable former members include vocalists Paul Baloff and Steve "Zetro" Souza, drummers John Tempesta and Paul Bostaph, and founding guitarist Kirk Hammett who later joined fellow Bay Area thrash metal band Metallica. There are no original members left in Exodus other than Hunting, who had departed from the band twice, in 1989 and 2004, but rejoined in 2007. Holt, who has been in the band since 1981, is the only member to appear on every Exodus album. Much of the band's career has been affected by lineup changes, feuds between both band members and record companies, two extended hiatuses, deaths of former band members, and drug addictions.
Since its formation, Exodus has released eleven studio albums, three live albums, one compilation album, and a re-recording of their first album. The band had particular success during the mid-to-late 1980s with their first three studio albums: Bonded by Blood (1985), Pleasures of the Flesh (1987) and Fabulous Disaster (1989). The critical praise given to Fabulous Disaster garnered attention from major labels, including Capitol Records, with whom Exodus signed in 1989 and released two albums for the label: Impact Is Imminent (1990) and Force of Habit (1992). After their first breakup in 1993 and a short-lived reunion from 1997–1998, Exodus reunited once again in 2001, and since then, they have released six more studio albums, starting with and including Tempo of the Damned (2004), which reignited Exodus' popularity and is considered to be a key part in the early-to-mid-2000s thrash metal revival movement. The band's thirteenth and latest studio album, Goliath, is due for release on March 20, 2026.
Along with Metallica, Exodus is often recognized as one of the pioneers of the Bay Area thrash metal scene, and they have been referred to as one of the region's so-called "Big Six" alongside Testament, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit, Forbidden, and Vio-lence. Exodus has sold over five million albums worldwide, and they are also considered to be one of the "Big Eight" of thrash metal, along with Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, Overkill, and Death Angel. In 2016, the staff of Loudwire named them the 25th best metal band of all time.
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