Exodus

Formed in 1979 in the San Francisco Bay Area, Exodus is part of the first wave of American thrash metal. Hailing from Richmond, California, the band is built around guitarist Gary Holt and drummer Tom Hunting, with Kirk Hammett contributing early on before leaving the lineup. Carried through the 1980s by the vocals of Paul Baloff and then Steve “Zetro” Souza, Exodus released Bonded by Blood in 1985, a record tied to the rise of the Bay Area thrash sound, followed by Pleasures of the Flesh (1987), Fabulous Disaster (1989), Impact Is Imminent (1990) and Force of Habit (1992). After a period of inactivity, Exodus resumed activity in the early 2000s with Tempo of the Damned (2004) and Shovel Headed Kill Machine (2005), marking a turn toward a heavier, darker thrash, continued with The Atrocity Exhibition… Exhibit A (2007), Let There Be Blood (2008), Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010), Blood In, Blood Out (2014) and Persona Non Grata (2021). Exodus’s style is based on fast tempos, tight riffs and an abrasive vocal approach, blending violent narratives, social themes and a disillusioned view of politics, which anchors the band in a direct, no-frills thrash aesthetic frequently showcased on club and metal festival stages in North America and Europe.