Rob McKillop - bass; Gary Holt - guitars, backing vocals; Rick Hunolt - guitar; John Tempesta - drums; Steve Souza - vocals
Exodus is a thrash metal band that was formed 30 years ago by founding member Gary Holt. Although the band has been through more than a dozen personnel changes and its original lead vocalist died suddenly from a stroke in 2001, the group has managed to stay alive, recording 12 albums and performing countless live shows.
The recording, which features as much profanity-laced stage banter from lead vocalist Steve Souza as it does music, features the band in its second phase. Souza had replaced original vocalist Paul Baloff in 1986 (although Baloff would return in 1997, and his death in 2001 would then usher in the return of Souza). Musically, the band had been together a full decade and was certainly a tight unit, although it is questionable whether their later material ever surpassed the power of the initial albums, 1985's Bonded By Blood and 1987's Pleasures Of The Flesh.
They blast through a lively set that includes "Verbal Razors," "Brain Dead," "Like Father Like Son" and the self-titled, "Exodus." For an encore, they do a note-for-note cover of AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap."
Exodus was formed by Holt and Kirk Hammett in 1980. Hammett would depart in 1983 to replace Dave Mustaine in Metallica, who had signed a record deal with Megaforce and was recording their initial album, Kill 'Em All. Partly because Hammett skyrocketed to success with Metallica, Exodus landed its own record deal, releasing Bonded By Brothers two years after his departure.
With the exception of a couple of non-active years, Holt has kept the band alive for three decades, and the group released its latest CD in 2008. They are scheduled to open for Megadeth on their 30th Anniversary Tour during the summer of 2010.