# List of Exodus members

Exodus is an American thrash metal band from Richmond, California. Formed in 1979, the group originally included lead vocalist Keith Stewart, guitarists Kirk Hammett and Tim Agnello, and drummer Tom Hunting, who later added guitarist Mikey B, who left after six months. The band currently consists of Hunting (a near consistent with absences between 1989 to 1997 and 2005 to 2007) alongside guitarist Gary Holt (since 1981), lead vocalist Rob Dukes (who first joined in 2005, and rejoined in 2025), bassist Jack Gibson (since 1997) and guitarist Lee Altus (since 2005).

## History

In 1980 Stewart left later, with Hunting handling lead vocal duties for a short period. Agnello also left shortly after, leaving the band to continue as a trio. Melson was replaced by Jeff Andrews around the same time. Gary Holt joined as Agnello's replacement in 1981. In 1982, the band added vocalist Paul Baloff, who performed on its first three-track demo the same year. The following April, Hammett left Exodus to join Metallica, with Rick Hunolt quickly brought in to replace him. Andrews later left to form death metal band Possessed, and was replaced by Rob McKillop.
With a settled lineup of Hunting, Holt, Baloff, McKillop and Hunolt, Exodus released its debut studio album Bonded by Blood in 1985. Following the touring cycle for the album, Baloff was fired from Exodus due to "personal and musical differences," having contributed to the writing of two tracks for the band's second album. He was replaced by former Legacy singer Steve "Zetro" Souza. After the release of Pleasures of the Flesh and Fabulous Disaster, Hunting left Exodus in 1989 and was replaced by John Tempesta. Impact Is Imminent was released in 1990, and the following year McKillop was replaced by Mike Butler, who performed on the 1992 release Force of Habit. Due to increased tensions between the singer and other members, the band fired Souza after touring throughout 1993, shortly before disbanding.
Holt and Hunolt reunited Exodus in 1997. Hunting and Baloff rejoined also, and Jack Gibson was added as their new bassist, completing a short tour which spawned the live album Another Lesson in Violence. The band returned again in September 2001, before Baloff died on February 4, 2002, after suffering a stroke. Just two days later, it was announced that Exodus would continue its scheduled tour with returning vocalist Souza. The band released its first studio album in twelve years in February 2004, Tempo of the Damned, before Souza left again in September. After Exhumed frontman Matt Harvey initially filled in on vocals, Skinlab singer Steev Esquivel took over for tour dates in October and November, before Rob Dukes was brought in as Souza's official replacement in January 2005.
Further lineup changes took place in 2005 – first Hunting was replaced by Paul Bostaph in May, then Hunolt left in June, with Heathen guitarist Lee Altus taking his place in August. Shovel Headed Kill Machine was released in October, which was Bostaph's only recording with the band as Hunting returned in March 2007. In 2012, Hunolt returned as a touring guitarist in place of Holt, who had begun touring with Slayer in place of Jeff Hanneman. Holt later joined Slayer as an official member, with Heathen's Kragen Lum joining Exodus for tour dates in 2013. In June 2014, Dukes was dismissed from Exodus and replaced by the returning Souza.
On January 15, 2025, the band announced the departure of Souza, and subsequent return of Dukes.

## Members
### Current

| Name | Years Active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Tom Hunting | 1979–19891997–19982001–20052007–present | drumslead vocals (1979–1982) | Bonded by Blood (1985)Pleasures of the Flesh (1987)Fabulous Disaster (1989)Good Friendly Violent Fun (1991)Another Lesson in Violence (1997)Tempo of the Damned (2004)Live at the DNA 2004 (2005)all Exodus releases from The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A (2007) onwards |
| Gary Holt | 1981–19931997–19982001–present | guitarsbacking vocals | all Exodus releases |
| Jack Gibson | 1997–19982001–present | bassbacking vocals | all Exodus releases from Another Lesson in Violence (1997) onwards |
| Lee Altus | 2005–present | guitars | all Exodus releases from Shovel Headed Kill Machine (2005) onwards, except Double Live Dynamo! (2008) |
| Rob Dukes | 2005–20142025–present | lead vocals | all Exodus releases from Shovel Headed Kill Machine (2005) to Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010), except Double Live Dynamo! (2008) |

### Former

| Name | Years Active | Instruments | Release contributions |
| Kirk Hammett | 1979–1983 | lead guitar | 1982 Demo (1982)Tempo of the Damned (2004) – songwriting credit on one trackBlood In, Blood Out (2014) – guest guitar solo on one track |
| Tim Agnello | 1979–1981 | guitars | none |
| Keith Stewart | 1979–1980 | lead vocals | none |
| Carlton Melson | 1979–1981 | bass | none |
| Jeff Andrews | 1981–1983 | bass | 1982 Demo (1982) |
| Paul Baloff | 1981–19861997–19982001–2002 (until his death) | lead vocals | 1982 Demo (1982)Bonded by Blood (1985)Another Lesson in Violence (1997)Double Live Dynamo! (2008) |
| Mike Maung | 1983 | guitars | none |
| Evan McCaskey | 1983 (died 1989) | guitars | none |
| Rob McKillop | 1983–1991 | bass | all Exodus releases from Rehearsal '83 (1983) to Good Friendly Violent Fun (1991)Double Live Dynamo! (2007) |
| Rick Hunolt | 1983–19931997–19982001–2005 (substitute 2012–2013) | guitars | all Exodus releases from Bonded by Blood (1985) to Live at the DNA 2004 (2005)Double Live Dynamo! (2008) |
| Steve "Zetro" Souza | 1986–19932002–20042014–2025 | lead vocals | all Exodus releases from Pleasures of the Flesh (1987) to Force of Habit (1992)Tempo of the Damned (2004)Live at the DNA 2004 (2005)all Exodus releases from Blood In, Blood Out (2014) to British Disaster: The Battle of '89 (Live at the Astoria) (2024) |
| John Tempesta | 1989–1993 (substitute 2021) | drums | Impact Is Imminent (1990)Force of Habit (1992) |
| Mike Butler | 1991–1993 | bass | Force of Habit (1992) |
| Paul Bostaph | 2005–2007 | drums | Shovel Headed Kill Machine (2005) |

### Touring

| Name | Years active | Instruments | Notes |
| Perry Strickland | 1989 (substitute) | drums | Strickland performed with Exodus following Hunting's departure in 1989, and prior to Tempesta's joining. |
| Gannon Hall | 1993 (substitute) | drums | Hall and Kontos both filled in following the departure of Tempesta at the end of the band's 1993 tour. |
| Chris Kontos | 1993 (substitute) | drums | Hall and Kontos both filled in following the departure of Tempesta at the end of the band's 1993 tour. |
| Matt Harvey | 2004 (substitute) | lead vocals | Harvey substituted for Souza in September 2004, prior to his official departure from the band. |
| Steev Esquivel | 2004 (substitute) | lead vocals | Esquivel performed with Exodus for tour dates in late 2004, following Souza's departure in September. |
| Kragen Lum | 2013 (substitute)2015–2019 (substitute) | guitarsbacking vocals | Lum has performed with Exodus for tour dates in 2013 and from 2015 to 2019, as Holt continued touring with Slayer. |
| Brandon Ellis | 2022 (substitute) | guitars | Ellis, from The Black Dahlia Murder filled in for Lee Altus for Exodus' 2022 summer European tour. |
| Mike Schleibaum | 2023 (substitute) | guitarsbass | Schleibaum, from Darkest Hour, filled in for Lee Altus on December 10, 2023, at Preserving Underground. He also played bass when Gibson had to sit out the same tour. |

## Lineups

| Period | Members | Releases |
| 1979–1980 | Keith Stewart – vocals Kirk Hammett – lead guitar Tim Agnello – rhythm guitar Carlton Melson – bass Tom Hunting – drums | none |
| 1980 | Kirk Hammett – lead guitar Tim Agnello – rhythm guitar Carlton Melson – bass Tom Hunting – drums, vocals | none |
| 1980–1981 | Kirk Hammett – guitars Carlton Melson – bass Tom Hunting – drums, vocals | none |
| 1981 | Kirk Hammett – guitars Tom Hunting – drums, vocals Jeff Andrews – bass | none |
| 1981 | Kirk Hammett – lead guitar Tom Hunting – drums, lead vocals Jeff Andrews – bass Gary Holt – rhythm guitar, backing vocals | none |
| 1981–1983 | Kirk Hammett – lead guitar Tom Hunting – drums Jeff Andrews – bass Gary Holt – rhythm guitar, backing vocals Paul Baloff – lead vocals | Untitled 1982 demo (1982) Die by His Hand (1983) |
| 1983 | Tom Hunting – drums Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Jeff Andrews – bass Paul Baloff – lead vocals Mike Maung – guitars | none |
| 1983 | Tom Hunting – drums Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Jeff Andrews – bass Paul Baloff – lead vocals Evan McCaskey – guitars | none |
| 1983–1986 | Tom Hunting – drums Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Paul Baloff – lead vocals Rob McKillop – bass Rick Hunolt – guitars | Rehearsal '83 (1983) Bonded by Blood (1985) Double Live Dynamo! (2008) |
| 1986–1989 | Tom Hunting – drums Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rob McKillop – bass Rick Hunolt – guitars Steve Souza – lead vocals | Pleasures of the Flesh (1987) Fabulous Disaster (1989) |
| 1989 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rob McKillop – bass Rick Hunolt – guitars Steve Souza – lead vocals Perry Strickland – drums (touring) | none |
| 1989–1991 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rob McKillop – bass Rick Hunolt – guitars Steve Souza – lead vocals John Tempesta – drums | Impact Is Imminent (1990) Good Friendly Violent Fun (1991) |
| 1991–1993 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rick Hunolt – guitars Steve Souza – lead vocals John Tempesta – drums Mike Butler – bass | Force of Habit (1992) |
| 1993 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rick Hunolt – guitars Steve Souza – lead vocals Mike Butler – bass Gannon Hall – drums (touring) | none |
| 1993 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rick Hunolt – guitars Steve Souza – lead vocals Mike Butler – bass Chris Kontos – drums (touring) | none |
| Band inactive 1993–1997 |||
| 1997–1998 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rick Hunolt – guitars Tom Hunting – drums Paul Baloff – lead vocals Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals | Another Lesson in Violence (1997) Double Live Dynamo! (2008) |
| Band inactive 1998–2001 |||
| September 2001 – February 2002 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rick Hunolt – guitars Tom Hunting – drums Paul Baloff – lead vocals Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals | none |
| February 2002 – September 2004 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rick Hunolt – guitars Tom Hunting – drums Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals Steve Souza – lead vocals | Tempo of the Damned (2004) Live at the DNA 2004 (2005) |
| September – October 2004 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rick Hunolt – guitars Tom Hunting – drums Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals Matt Harvey – lead vocals (touring) | none |
| October – November 2004 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rick Hunolt – guitars Tom Hunting – drums Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals Steev Esquivel – lead vocals (touring) | none |
| January – May 2005 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rick Hunolt – guitars Tom Hunting – drums Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals Rob Dukes – lead vocals | none |
| May – June 2005 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Rick Hunolt – guitars Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals Rob Dukes – lead vocals Paul Bostaph – drums | none |
| August 2005 – March 2007 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals Rob Dukes – lead vocals Paul Bostaph – drums Lee Altus – guitars | Shovel Headed Kill Machine (2005) |
| March 2007 – June 2014 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals Rob Dukes – lead vocals Lee Altus – guitars Tom Hunting – drums | The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A (2007) Let There Be Blood (2008) Exhibit B: The Human Condition (2010) Shovel Headed Tour Machine (2010) |
| June 2014 – January 2025 | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals Lee Altus – guitars Tom Hunting – drums Steve Souza – lead vocals | Blood In, Blood Out (2014) Persona Non Grata (2021) |
| January 2025 – present | Gary Holt – guitars, backing vocals Jack Gibson – bass, backing vocals Lee Altus – guitars Tom Hunting – drums Rob Dukes – lead vocals | none to date |