[1] Their current lineup consists of guitarists Gary Holt and Lee Altus, bassist Jack Gibson, drummer Tom Hunting, and lead vocalist Rob Dukes.

[7] Along with Metallica, Exodus is often credited as pioneers of the Bay Area thrash metal scene,[8][9] and have been referred to as one of the region's so-called "Big Six" alongside Testament, Death Angel, Lȧȧz Rockit, Forbidden, and Vio-lence.

[10][11] Exodus has sold over five million albums worldwide,[12] and they are also considered to be one of the "Big Eight" of thrash metal, along with Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Testament, Overkill, and Death Angel.

[18] The band added bass guitarist Carlton Melson in 1980, and the quintet began making a name for themselves playing backyard parties and various school functions.

[19] Agnello would also leave the group, moving to New York City and staying involved in the music industry as a guitar player, manager, and writer.

The band's music began to incorporate elements of hardcore punk into their NWOBHM roots, and Exodus was considered a pioneer of the Bay Area thrash metal scene.

In November 1982, Exodus opened a show at the Old Waldorf club in San Francisco for Metallica,[22] a then-relatively unknown (and unsigned) band from Los Angeles.

As the band began playing more shows in Bay Area clubs, they gained a large, fervent fanbase known for their violent concert behavior.

In April 1983, Hammett left Exodus to replace Dave Mustaine in Metallica on the recommendation of manager and producer Mark Whitaker, leaving Holt to effectively take creative control of the band.

Jeff Andrews also left to start an early incarnation of pioneering death metal band Possessed, and was replaced by bass guitarist Rob McKillop.

In the spring of 1984, Exodus entered Turk Street Studios with producer Doug Piercy (then-guitarist of Anvil Chorus and later Heathen) to record demos of songs that would later appear on their debut album.

Four songs from their performance of April 5, 1985 at Studio 54 in New York City were filmed and released on home video as Combat Tour Live: The Ultimate Revenge.

The band subsequently toured or played selected shows with Exciter, Megadeth, Anthrax, King Diamond, Possessed, D.R.I., Nuclear Assault and Hirax.

[24] Shortly after touring for Bonded by Blood was complete, Baloff was fired from the band allegedly due to his behavior related to alcohol and substance abuse.

He was replaced by Steve "Zetro" Souza, who had previously been the lead vocalist for Legacy, a precursor of fellow Bay Area thrashers Testament.

Vio-lence drummer Perry Strickland was quickly brought into the fold as a temporary replacement for the remainder of the tour,[26] and John Tempesta would fill the position on a permanent basis until the band's first breakup in 1993.

Holt and Hunting formed the groove/thrash metal outfit Wardance in the mid-1990s, playing several shows around the Bay Area and recording a four-song demo, but the group never gained momentum and eventually disbanded.

"Crime of the Century" was replaced with "Impaler", a song which was written when Kirk Hammett was still in the band, and was previously featured on the Another Lesson in Violence live record.

Despite selling fewer than 15,000 copies in its first year of release,[32] Tempo of the Damned received generally positive reviews from fans and critics alike, and is now considered to be an important part of the 2000s thrash metal revival movement.

[35] This led to a bitter feud between himself and Holt, who subsequently issued a statement in which he was heavily critical of Souza, claiming he had suddenly left the band while on tour only a day before they were due to leave for a show in Mexico City.

Gary Holt released the following statement about the band's decision to revisit their debut album: "After many years in the planning and discussion stage, we have finally completed the re-recording of Bonded by Blood.

Former and current Exodus members in attendance included Kirk Hammett, Rick Hunolt, Gary Holt, Jeff Andrews, Lee Altus, Rob Dukes, Tom Hunting and Jack Gibson.

[52] Original guitarist and founding member Kirk Hammett made a guest appearance on the song "Salt the Wound", marking his first recording with Exodus since the 1982 demo.

[66][67] Former members Rick Hunolt and Rob Dukes joined the band on stage at The Chapel in San Francisco for a one-off reunion show in July 2017.

[80] Due to "family concerns", guitarist Lee Altus did not participate in the European tour, and he was filled in by Brandon Ellis of The Black Dahlia Murder.

[99][100][101] The members of Exodus have cited numerous artists as an influence or inspiration to their sound, including AC/DC, Angel Witch, Black Sabbath, David Bowie, Roy Buchanan, Glen Campbell, the Clash, Ry Cooder, Deep Purple, Diamond Head, Discharge, the Doors, the Exploited, GBH, Jimi Hendrix, Iron Maiden, Elton John, Judas Priest, Led Zeppelin, Mercyful Fate, Gary Moore, Motörhead, Nazareth, Ted Nugent, Pink Floyd, Queen, Rainbow, the Sex Pistols, Sweet Savage, Thin Lizzy, Tygers of Pan Tang, UFO, Van Halen, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Venom.

[102][103][104][105] Many thrash metal bands, including Megadeth,[106] Slayer,[106][107] Anthrax,[108] Testament,[106][109][110] Death Angel,[106][110] Vio-lence,[106][110] Sepultura,[106] Flotsam and Jetsam,[104] Annihilator,[106] Dark Angel,[106] Forbidden,[106] Sacred Reich,[106] Heathen,[111] Artillery,[112] Havok,[113] and Evile,[114] as well as other bands such as Obituary,[115] Cannibal Corpse, Darkthrone, Fear Factory, Eyehategod, and Primal Fear,[104] have cited Exodus as an influence or inspiration to their music.

"[116] In 1989, Brad Tolinski of Guitar World magazine wrote that, "If Exodus is a speed metal equivalent of the Rolling Stones, then New York-based Anthrax must surely be the genre's The Beatles.

"[118] Ultimate Guitar also referred to Exodus as the "historical bridge between 'The Big Four' of thrash (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax) and the genre's second wave in the late 1980s.

"[125] Frontman Steve "Zetro" Souza has stated that the fact that Exodus was not included in the "Big Four" does not bother him, "I've heard that term many times and it doesn't really matter to me.