
EXODUS started back in late ’79, early ’80 with Tom Hunting on vocals / drums, Kirk Hammett on guitar, Tim Magnello on guitar and Carlton Nelson on bass. They started out playing covers such as ‘Get Your Rocks Off’, ‘Wasted’ (DEF LEPPARD), ‘Rock Bottom’ (U.F.O.) etc. and a few originals. Needless to say that their music had more in common with traditional Hard Rock / Heavy Metal than with the Thrash stuff that they were known for a few years later. It’s interesting to note at that point that Gary Holt attended one of their early shows that was taking place in his high school and soon became a roadie for Kirk. Kirk showed at the time a couple of chords to Gary and that’s how he learned to play guitar: Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Ted Nugent, Gary Moore and Eddie Van Halen becoming his main influences. During 1981 Carlton Nelson left the band (he was later seen in OUTRAGE, BLIZZARD and then FURHER) and was replaced by Jeff Andrews. Not long after that the band parted ways with Tim Magnello who was replaced by Gary Holt. A few months later the band decided to get a full time singer in the person of Paul Baloff (of Russian decent). Kirk found Paul at a party in Berkeley as he had an IRON MAIDEN button on and he asked him if he knew U.F.O. who was one of Kirk’s fave bands so








