Audio By Carbonatix
After all these years, Gary Holt is still pissed off. As the founder of prototypical Bay Area thrash outfit Exodus, the dexterous guitarist and songwriter has spewed enough bile and venom over the past two decades to provide an alternative fuel. In a world of church-sanctioned pedophilia and corporate-sponsored wars — as well as personal events such as losing co-founding guitarist Kirk Hammett (who went on to help refine the crude oil of thrash into radio-friendly gasoline with Metallica) and original vocalist Paul Baloff (who died of a stroke in 2002) — Holt has no shortage of inspiration. Last year he assembled a new crew for Shovel Headed Kill Machine, a blistering opus of breakneck intensity and stunning complexity that reaffirmed Exodus’s status as a force to be regarded with fear and awe. It also proved — much to our relief — that Gary Holt still has some anger issues.
