Exodus

About

Also known as: エクソダス

Few bands can claim the kind of foundational role in thrash metal that Exodus holds. Formed in Richmond, California in 1979, they were there at the very start of the Bay Area thrash scene, and their debut album Bonded by Blood remains a landmark of the genre. Founding guitarist Kirk Hammett left early to join Metallica, but Gary Holt stepped up and has been the band's creative anchor ever since, appearing on every single Exodus album. Their mid to late 1980s run, covering Bonded by Blood, Pleasures of the Flesh and Fabulous Disaster, put them on the map and earned enough critical heat to land a deal with Capitol Records. Lineup changes, hiatuses and tragedy have defined much of their story, including the death of original vocalist Paul Baloff in 2002, but Exodus kept going. Their 2004 comeback album Tempo of the Damned is widely credited as a key spark in the 2000s thrash revival, and the band has kept releasing new material since. They are considered part of the so called Big Eight of thrash metal alongside Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax, and have sold over five million albums worldwide.